Sleeping Rose
by Eefi-chan
Summary: Ruka catches Aki watching her Sleeping Beauty DVD and influences Ruka to write the fairytale in Yuaki style. But what will happen if someone came across it?
1. Chapter 1

* * *

My first 5D fic. Just this random idea I got that I want to play with it. Grammer could be a problem, since I did this really quickly. You have been warn.

Regards,

Eefi-chan (does not own anything)

* * *

_The dark mountain blends the darkening clouds…_

Ruka pause her pencil and shock her head. Her tiny hand torn the piece of notebook paper from the binding and quick as you can say "cliché", Ruka crumbled the paper and toss it into her pink trashcan.

"Nothing is going right!" Ruka mumbled as she stare at the blank notebook. This never happen to her before. She hope this disease never crosses paths with her. But it did, and now Ruka finally admits it:

She has caught writer's block.

Usually, Ruka can crack up any number of stories in one day. She can pick up an idea, big or small, and turn it into a best seller quicker then a blink of an eye. She has been doing this ever since she first went to the Duel Monster World. It first became dairy writing, but when her inner creative mind took over, Ruka expands it. By expanding it, it means twisting every corner, adding spices, and letting herself go without censoring herself. Before Ruka became aware of it, she had a novel right in front of her.

Ironically, the greatest event in her life is happening now and she can't even come up with a story for it. Ruka pull her right arm sleeve back and glare at her small dragon mark.

They just got back from defeating their dark counterparts, the dark signers, and now waiting word from Godwin on what to do. Until then, they are all cave at the twins' house.

A lot has happen from the last 24 hours that Ruka could use for influence. But none of those very dramatic and tragic events pop at her. The events are like gray clouds in her head, stuck in there and dull.

Ruka cover her mark and stare at the window in front of her. Convincingly, the clouds are like the thoughts in her head. Ruka frown at a sudden realization.

"Everything has been dark and dull." Ruka whisper. She can't even remember when the last time the sky was bright and anyone smile. They, the signers, had been in the "dark" so long that they become adapt to the gloomy atmosphere. Especially after their respective duel.

"Maybe I need a trip to the DVD collection to spark a light." Ruka thought, as she leap off her chair and head to the door. That's what she needs- to watch a very happy movie and, hopefully, to produce at least one story to ease her urges. She doesn't know why she thought of those old DVDs rather then the on-demand she gets on her laptop, but it's too late or, lazy rather, to turn back.

"Maybe I should also invite everyone else." Ruka thought as she travel down the hallway. Each of her comrades' faces appear in her head. Her frown deepen as she consider the possibility.

"What's wrong, Ruka?" a voice cut into her thoughts. Ruka jump out of her thoughts and suddenly became aware of Yusei being in front of her.

"Nothing really at the moment, but thank you, Yusei." Ruka replied. But she then notice Yusei's eyes wonder.

"Are you looking for something?" Ruka ask, tilting her head in confusion. Yusei pause his eye movements and look at her. His stoic expression is always the same no matter what he does. But Ruka is confuse. Yusei has been crashing at their place for a long time and he knows the house well enough to find anything.

"Have you seen Aki?" He ask her.

Well, almost anything.

"No, sorry to say." Ruka said, not surprise at his question at all. She should had know that he would be looking for her. Recently, there has been an great tension between the two of them, Aki and Yusei.

When they reunited after Aki's duel with Misty, Yusei seems to be keeping his eye on the psychic female more closely as Jack was with Carly's glasses. But when they got to their house, Aki disappears from everyone like a cat and Yusei has been cat hunting ever since.

Yusei just nods and walk past Ruka. Ruka continue her journey to her destination, deciding to leave Yusei be. As much she wants to know what happen at Aki's duel to cause the sudden silent chase, Ruka didn't want any more drama to happen. Rua asking Jack about Carly and seeing his reaction at her name two hours ago was not pretty.

_"Rua is probably still kicking himself for being so nosy."_ Ruka thought, as she walks into the kitchen. Like she predicts, Rua is at the far right end of the table eating his sandwich slowly. The male twin cautiously peeks over his sandwich fearfully at the blond man at the other far side of the table. Jack is just sipping his 5th or more cup of coffee away, slurping off and on. Each slurp made Rua jump or disrupt his eating.

A blue hair woman, Mikage, was just watching Jack from the kitchen counter. Ruka saw her fiddling with an apple. Ruka hopes she doesn't plan to clobber Jack with the defenseless fruit for whatever reason.

Leaving the depressing scene be, Ruka open the door to the basement and went down. Ruka flick the lights on halfway down the stairs. To save her times, she leap over the low railing near the bottom of the stairs into the ground.

Dust puff out of her shoes once she lightly land.

_"Haven't been down here for a while." _Ruka thought examing the dust on the ground. She remember she and Rua use to come down the basement all the time to play with their toys and watch DVDs. But the internet and dueling had take them away from the place where a lot of firsts happen.

Ruka travel through the play room, to the door that leads to the threather room. Ruka had her hand on the door handle when suddenly became aware of noise on the other side.

"What…?" Ruka froze dead in place. Regaining her control, Ruka carefully place her ear against the door.

Music. There was music playing at the other side of the door.

Ruka press her ear more to the wood.

Words too. Not clearly because of the door, but clear enough to catch that it was a man and woman singing.

"What the heck?!" Ruka mouth, and without thinking, fling the door open.

Ruka was then stun at the sight in front of her.

"Aki?" Ruka ask out loud. Aki jump and look behind her.

"Oh, Ruka!" Aki said, surprise. Ruka sees Aki laying on one of the beanbag chair, looking rather comfortable a couple seconds before. Ruka then saw the DVD case of Sleeping Beauty next to her and, looking to the TV, the said movie plays on the screen.

"You been hiding here all this time?!" Ruka ask, the first thing that came to her head. Aki quickly snatch the remote next to the DVD case and hit the pause button. The screen pause at a very close up verison of the prince and the princess about to kiss.

"I guess you can say that, if it looks like it." Aki said, staring at the couple on the screen oddly. Ruka heard Aki mutter about pausing at the most awkward parts. Aki press the rewind button and pause at the part of the animals dancing with the princess.

Remembering about Yusei, Ruka decide to at least remind her of him looking for her. But before she had a chance to move her lips, Aki continue on.

"I was looking for a washing machine and instinctively went down here." Aki continues, "But I guess I got distract with this."

_"A washing machine in a basement?"_ Ruka though, finding it odd. Their washing machine is in a room next to the kitchen. Aki saw the confuse look at her face. Her face redden as she pick up the Sleeping Beauty DVD.

"Sleeping Beauty is my favorite movie." Aki confess, her voice softer then usual. Ruka's eyes widen.

"Oh, really?" Ruka ask. Ruka felt her inner self pushing her to ask Aki more.

"Yeah, I use to watch it all the time while waiting for papa to come home." Aki said, her eyes looking nostilagic at the DVD cover.

Obeying her inner self, Ruka settle down at a bean bag chair next to Aki.

"But ever since my powers awaken, papa burn it along with other things that relate to witchcraft, and so forth."

"Like Disney will advertise witchcraft and whipping." Ruka blurt out before catching her tougue. Ruka blush and hopes that Aki didn't catch on what the statement ment. But Aki chuckle at Ruka's suppose joke.

"True." Aki said. Ruka relax a bit. _Close call._

"Why do you love that movie so much?" Ruka ask, decideing to keep the fire going with this discussion. What's the chance to see Aki being this open? _Maybe Yusei._

Aki hugged the DVD tightly into her body and laid back. She look to the ceiling and stare at it for a while. Ruka wait patiently for her answer, praying that she didn't hit the wrong nerve.

"… Before my powers awaken, I dream of having a life like this fairytale." Aki confess, still looking at the ceiling, "But I guess I got a fairytale alright."

Aki laugh at her sentence, but Ruka could tell that she is being sarcastic. Ruka frown at her.

"Aki." Ruka said her name with concern. Aki look at her. They both stare at each other for a while until Aki turns her head back to the ceiling.

"I guess my life is like Sleeping Beauty, except mine was is not fairytale. Frankly."

Ruka didn't know what to say about Aki comparing her life to a Disneyfied fairytale. _Silly, but I can bear with it._

"But I was put a curse on, taken away from home, trick into the curse, and was rescue by my savior." Aki said, removing her right glove to reveal her dragon mark. Ruka's ears perk up. Something in her blood is boiling for information.

"Can you tell me your story?" Ruka ask, leaning forward towards Aki more in curiousity. Ruka regret for letting excitement show in her tone when she saw Aki stiffen, like a cat in water.

Ruka lean back at the bean bag car.

"Sorry, got carry off, Aki. You don't need to tell-"

"Actually, I feel like I need to tell."

Ruka turn her head sharply to see Aki's true grin looking at her.

--------

30 minutes later....

"Finally got to finish my sandwich..." Rua said, as he travel down the hallway. He was constantly itching his butt from the stillness of sitting in his chair from the last smile when he was about a feet near his door. He had his hand place on the doorknob.

"Now to change my underware-"

Rua was interrupt by a blur of green hair flying by him, opening the door to their bedroom, and slamming it right in front of Rua.

It took Rua a while to get what just happen.

"Ru-Ruka?!" Rua pound on the door, horrified at what is happening, "I need to change my underware, can I come in for a second, er, please?"

"No." came the curtly replied of Ruka. The sound of paper from the other side of the door made Rua jump.

"Ruka! Don't tell me you are in story mode!" Rua complain, slumping down to his knees.

There is nothing to break out of Ruka's story mode, and now he must suffer bad underware until then.

* * *

Slow-pace story, I should be shot.

Hope you had fun! See you in Chapter 2!


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, here's to this chapter being better in grammer-wise then chapter one because I spent a good amount checking for past tense. If there is still problems, I will consider a beta reader. -clanks her hoagie with someone else's hoagie-

Eefi-chan (does not own anything)

* * *

**CRACK!**

Lightning struck throughout Neo Domino City, breaking the creepy silence. Ruka usually jumps whenever a sound suddenly breaks a long term silence-

When she isn't in writing mode.

She was writing furiously in her notebook; not stopping for breaks. She felt great excitement that she has to hold her tongue from squealing like a rabid fan girl. _Or whatever Jack calls his stalkers._

Ruka was never challenged on writing this before and she is determined to put her heart, soul, and mind into it. Ruka felt a smile form on her face, replaying the lovely memory that had cause the story rush.

---

_The credits of Sleeping Beauty started to play on the TV screen. Neither female utter a word. Ruka lost the ability to keep her jaw closed; making her opened mouth as big as her widened eyes. _

_The said eyes stared at the magenta female's downcast eyes. _

_"Aki." Ruka said softly, breaking the silence. Now she understood almost everything about the girl who had been labeled the Black Rose Witch. Aki wasn't fibbing about her life had being somewhat of a bad fairytale. She even uses the movie to explain parts of her life to her!_

_Ruka launched into Aki and gave her a big hug. Aki stiffed like a cat again, but quickly soften. Ruka could feel Aki gently patting her head._

_"It's alright now." Aki told her mildly, "I'm fine."_

_Ruka detect some hints of doubt on Aki's last sentence, but didn't push to it._

_She knows what she had to do. _

_"Hey, Aki." Ruka begun to speak._

_"Yeah?" Aki asked._

_"I'm glad you are here." Ruka bluntly said. She felt Aki's hand pause the patting. But then she felt Aki giving a gentle hug._

_"I'm glad too." Aki responded, as the credits on the TV ended. Ruka smiled at Aki warmly._

_After a while, both girls release each other. Ruka had felted the story rush creeping in her veins._

_"I'm going to check on everyone, will you be alright?" Ruka asked, getting up to her two feet. Aki nodded._

_"Sure." _

_"Make sure you come to dinner." Ruka said with a serious tone. Aki rolled her eyes._

_"I am not promising you that." Aki respond, looking away from the younger female. Ruka sighed. _She doesn't want to face Yusei.

_"Be there, or be square." _

_And Ruka gently close the door, leaving Aki be._

_Ruka put her ear on the door, making sure Aki is still there. She heard the opening of Sleeping Beauty playing in the background and smiled._

_Satisfied, Ruka let the story rush take over her and dash upstairs. _

_---  
_

Ruka's smile widens even more. Aki's story gave an impact more then she had desire. She couldn't past this opportunity.

Ruka plans to give Aki the story after she is done. Aki may not say it, but she really does love the fairytale. Ruka figures she'll give Aki what she silently wants- an escape from reality.

With the careful planning Ruka has done for this story, she is sure Aki will be satisfied- and surprise.

---

**Slam!**

Ruka slammed her pencil down dramically.

"Done!" she cheered, letting the beat up pencil rolled off her desk. Ruka neatly closed her notebook and lift it in the air. She admires her work as if her own baby is smiling at her.

"It's finish." Ruka breathed, smiling back at the notebook. The title _"Sleeping Rose"_ in Ruka's neat handwriting becomes visible in the moonlight. Ruka then glance at the kitty clock above the door.

"Three hours?" Ruka gasped, "Someone defiantly will notice my absence by now, especially now dinner had gone by!"

Ruka went to her bed and quickly placed the notebook securely under the covers. She made sure to make the sheets wrinkle-free by using her hands.

"I'll give it to Aki as soon as I clear my absence." She thought as she went to the door. Ruka quickly open her door-

And was greeted by the sight of Rua and Crow slamming into the ground in front of her.

"I told you not to lean hard against the door!" Crow hollered, lifting his elbows up.

"But it's hard to hear what she is writing about when you keep mumbling every five seconds!" Rua whines.

Ruka watches their argument in amusement. She should have expected Rua doing something like this (especially since she kicked him out of _their_ room in the first place).

_But Crow?_

"How long you two been here?" She ask, might as well get over with it.

"Ah! Ruka!" Rua said, his expression went from annoy to friendly in a blink of an eye, "You missed dinner!"

"And I had made a good meal too!" Crow cut in, not hiding the fact that he is furious.

Ruka winched. She forgot that Crow was the cook for tonight's dinner. Also that Crow has a pet peeve for people who miss out on his cooking.

"I'm so sorry Crow! I totally forgot about it!" Ruka pleaded, bowing in respect. She had been looking forward to what Crow was making for them too.

"Yeah, you better bow lower, because it was so good!" Rua said, playfully pushing Ruka's head lower. Ruka slap Rua's hand away from her head and gave a glare to her older brother.

"May I ask what was served?" Ruka asked Crow. Crow's eyes bright up.

"It was stuff Yusei, cover in butter!" Crow proudly answered.

"And it was De-lic-ous!" Rua added on, rubbing his stomach happily.

Ruka turned white. _Stuff Yusei?_ _**In butter?**_

The disturbed image of her brother figure being stuff with meat, cover in butter, and serve on a silver platter has sent the weirdest chills one girl can endure down the spine.

Crow notice the sick look of the female twin.

"Oh! Sorry! It's actually crab!" Crow reassured her, while Rua was laughing in the background, "Rua and I name it after Yusei, because it looks like his hair."

Ruka narrow her eyes. _Now that made sense._

Now it was Crow's turn to winch. He scratched back his hair in nervousness.

"Sorry for that... _inappropriate_ visual..." Crow manage to get out of his mouth. Ruka glare at him, hoping to make him feel even guiltier. This is something she will not be able to forget that easily!

"I made a plate for you in the fridge. A good five minutes in the microwave and two extra for the peas." Crow quickly said, pointing down the hall, "I am going to look for Yusei. He missed dinner too, along with that magenta girl..."

Ruka blinked. _He's still looking for her?_

Rua poked Crow on the shoulder.

"Actually, Yusei is trying to run away from Yanagi." Rua pointed out. Rua got two confuse faces in response.

"He's that old treasure guy who hides everything in his clothes. The one who try to dissect the crab back at dinner." Rua told Crow. Rua then turn to Ruka.

"Yusei was spot after dinner looking in the laundry room for something while Yanagi and I were cleaning up from dinner." He began to explain, "Yanagi somehow mistaken Yusei going on a treasure hunt and suddenly was able to pull out a pick, a hammer, and a shovel from his cloths."

Crow and Ruka gave each other disturb looks before facing Rua again.

"And then he starts to tail Yusei like his own shadow." Rua let out a laugh, "It's really funny to see Yusei trying to get Yanagi off his shoulders, literally."

Ruka groan at the bad image of the old man hanging on to Yusei. _Yusei is blessed with great patience._

"Is this still going on?" Crow asked. Ruka gave Crow's worry tone a questioning look.

"Don't worry, Yusei wouldn't get molested by him. Yanagi will leave him alone as soon as he realize Yusei is really looking for-"

**CRASH!**

The three of them jump in surprise and instantly look down the hallway.

"What the f-" Crow caught his tongue in time, "What the heck?"

As to answer Crow's question, Yanagi's laugh was heard down the hallway.

"Sorry, Yusei. Wrong pipe." Yanagi called out.

Crow and Rua winched while Ruka sigh. _Why are they in the bathroom?_

Crow started to dash down the hallway as if the world was about to end.

"Hang on, Yusei!" He cried out, disappearing down the hall, leaving just the two twins in front of their bedroom door. Rua gave a nervous look to Ruka.

"Should I-"

"Just go." Ruka interrupt, knowing what Rua is going to say. Ruka then suddenly remember something.

"Oh, Rua!" Ruka whisper, poking her twin brother, "Didn't you say you need to change your underwear?"

Rua smile at Ruka.

"I found an alternative, no worries."

And with that, Rua ran off, leaving Ruka there, tilting her head in confusion.

_"But I just finished a load before we left for Godwin's..."_ Ruka thought, but then snap her fingers.

_"Ah! Himuro must had been doing extra, since he was complaining that he and Yanagi were bore while we were out, "_ Ruka logically thought, _"And we were gone for a _long_ time..."_

Ruka's belly rumbled suddenly, cutting her thoughts off. She sighed again.

"I think that's what I really need to do now. Eat." Ruka spoke out into open air, as she turn the opposite direction and head off.

She will deal with the four idiots later. _Especially Yusei._

_"Aki, you don't know what trouble you just cause..." _Ruka thought, thinking of the older female signer who is probably still down in the basement. _Maybe I should include a note of complaint with the story._

_---  
_

"Ah!"

Rua emerged into their own bedroom after that huge burden that he, Crow, and Yusei had to perform to save Yanagi from suffocating in the toilet. He rolled his shoulders, hoping to remove the great tiredness that is hanging on to him.

"Honestly, if this is how a man feels, then I don't want to grow up at all." Rua said out loud, not wanting to save someone's head getting stuck in a toilet ever again.

Without looking whose bed, Rua slammed head face first into the bed closest to him-

-And suddenly felt paper under the covers.

Rua sat up and quickly scanned the area.

He was on Ruka's bed, but at this point he didn't care. Rua poke the area where he felt the paper to make sure.

_Poke._ He heard a crackle.

Rua quickly withdraw his finger as if he touched high heat. He poked the blanket again.

_Crackle_, went the bed.

Rua continue this process for a couple more minutes until he finally confirms that there is something under Ruka's bed.

Without thinking twice, Rua strip the covers off of his younger sister's bed to unravel a dark red notebook with the title _"Sleeping Rose" _across it.

Rua picked up the notebook and study it very closely. He squinted for the heck of it as he read the note on the corner of the notebook.

_"Hope this story makes you smile, Aki. From, Ruka"_

Rua smiled widely and quickly scanned through the notebook.

He picked up a few words per page, his excitement growing each second that dies out.

After about a minute, Rua slammed the notebook shut and tuck it under his arm.

"The guys should see this!" Rua said happily, forgetting that he is crossing into dangerous death as he ran out of their room.

---

Ruka never felt this satisfied for food for a long time.

_"Crow is no joke. He can cook." _Ruka thought, as she climbed up the stairs, _"Is there something he can't do?"_

Ruka was lost in her thoughts of good food when she suddenly realizes how quiet the household is.

_"Well, it has been a long day."_ Ruka quickly thought as she went through each person in her head.

Himuro has retired to his bed after he saw Ruka eating her dinner.

Crow came down not too long ago to inform her about what happen and had offered to see Yanagi to bed.

Ruka overheard Mikage forcing Jack to go to sleep not too long ago as well. Now both she and Trudge are sleeping on the couches in the living room.

Yusei, god knows where, is still looking for Aki. Ruka grunt at failing to get his attention a while ago. _He past the door to the basement how many times?! _

And Aki is still in the basement. Wither or not she is sleeping there is out of Ruka's reach.

Maybe she should give her the story now and yell at her to go to bed, so Yusei would go to bed too.

All that leaves is Rua...

Ruka figures he will be in bed, because Crow told her how gruesome it was to get Yanagi out of the toilet. Ruka giggled at the thought of details Crow provide her. _Such a shame I didn't get to witness that._

Ruka then choked on her giggles when she entered their bedroom. Her eyes fell upon her mess up bed.

Panicking, Ruka dive straight into the covers and dig.

The story was not there. It was gone.

Ruka stared at the place where the story should have been. Her calm nature suddenly vanished and was replaced with anger.

Before she had known it, she had scream the name of the only person who could, no _dare_, to cross into her private grounds-

**"RUA!"

* * *

**

See you all in Chapter 3!


	3. Chapter 3

First off, and most importantly, I want to thank Saq78642 for doing the heavy editing and rewriting for me. From his edits, I learn a couple things that I need to work on- variety of words and keeping in the correct tense. I doubt that they are the only things I need to work on, and I hope to find them out as soon as possible. So make sure you thank Saq too, since the people who took their time to look over and fix things are just as important as the one who writes it.

For Saq, thank you so much for editing this long chapter (I had too many ideas, I think that's another thing I should work on). I hope to work with you again, because your edits and comments really help me! I want to do something great for you in the future, but for now a thank you and a psycho Aki doll is what I can produce for now. -gives you psycho Aki doll-

So here's chapter 3! Enjoy!

Regards,

Eefi-chan (does not own anything other then this idea)

* * *

Ruka's scream started to travel and echo around the house like a sonic wave; her voice first reached to the person taking the guestroom next to the twins' room.

Jack Atlas had finally found a comfortable position on the bed after rolling around in a frustrated matter for a while. Hanging his left side off the bed felt good to the blonde, he was too tired and couldn't care less if doing so made him look bad.

Giving a satisfied sigh, the blonde haired male was about to close his eyes to rest up...

"**RUA!**"

Jack jerked up from the sudden yell of his comrade; but forgetting that there was no mattress on his left side, gravity took its full course. He put so much pressure on his left side in hoping that the mattress would save him, that he fell right into the ground.

He felt his legs getting caught in the metal, followed by a ripping sound from that said place.

His head, for some reason, got hit first, and then his stomach slammed into the cold hard floor- along with his feet.

Jack grunted at the pain that that drew from his head. He got on his elbows and tried to get his eyesight focused.

"Who-" Jack stopped midsentence when he looked at his legs- and then his eyes widened.

* * *

"DARK SIGNERS!" Yanagi hollered as he leaped off his bed, after hearing his hostess's scream.

The old man pulled out a pickaxe from his shirt, and then paused for a moment.

"Himuro?" Yanagi called out, turning to his younger roommate's bed; the teal spiked man was sleeping peacefully.

Frowning, Yanagi leaped onto his bed. Placing his feet between Himuro's legs, he made the man bounce a bit.

"Wake up!" Yanagi yelled. Himuro's eyes tightened a bit.

"We're not in danger." Himuro harshly whispered. Yanagi panicked and then got down to his knees and sat on Himuro's body.

"This isn't one of those practice drills! This is REAL!" Yanagi yelled, shaking Himuro's shoulders. Himuro growled at the sudden contact and quickly used two hands to push the old man off, and to the side of Himuro.

"Are you deaf or something?" Himuro asked, opening his eyes to glare at the old man, "That was just Ruka screaming at Rua. Nothing new there."

His eyes got darker as he continues on, "…and get off my bed before I label you as a molester."

And with that, Himuro went back to sleeping peacefully.

Yanagi watched his friend sleep, attempting to digest what Himuro just said.

"That didn't sound like Ruka to me…" Yanagi told himself. He then shrugged and jumped off of Himuro's bed.

"I must have forgotten to take my medication again!" Yanagi spoke, scratching his chin, he then yawned.

"Oh well." He concluded, giving himself a goofy smile and placed himself upon his bed to sleep.

* * *

"JACK!" Mikage awoke herself with a scream as Ruka's scream hit the living room.

"MIKAGE!" Ushio awakened with a jolt as he heard the sound of Mikage's scream. Ushio quickly looked over to the couch from across his to check on her.

He saw Mikage hastily attempting to get off the couch, but with no avail--she was stuck in a heap of blanets. Realizing that her resistance was futile she leaped off the couch in a jolt and proceeded to hop in the direction of the stairs, in complete failure, much to Ushio's amusement.

"Don't just stand there!" Mikage called out to him, "Jack is in trouble!"

Ushio gritted his teeth bare at the mere mention of his rival for and proceeded to get up from the couch.

"Ah! Got it!" Ushio looked up and, to his surprise, Mikage was able to free herself from the mess of blankets as soon he was about to make his move to close the distance between them.

"Stupid blankets." Mikage mummbled as she started up the stairs, all while leaving the blankets simply on the ground.

Ushio attemptied to not whimperm as he tried to catch up with her.

He worked so hard to tuck Mikage in those blankets, in hope that she wouldn't get a cold.

* * *

Yusei was choking hoarsely over the sink, using his right fist to punch his stomach in. In the sink, there were scraps of red meat along with saliva.

It was fortunate for him to eat the last piece of crab, and get it caught in the wrong pipe while Ruka screamed. And now with that said, crab was never going to fulfill his hunger. But alas, that factor doesn't matter, if your life is on the line.

'Ack!' Yusei coughed up the last piece of crab as he held onto the sink for balance, letting his cold sweat drip into the sink.

Yusei took deep breaths, and after calming his heart down, he wiped the sweat off his forhead with his hand.

He felt his stomach growling again, but he ignored it.

_'The scream came from Ruka's room.'_ Yusei thought while was about to move his foot, when the basement door swinged open. Yusei wondered why he missed that door when the the very person he has been looking for now emerges from that door.

Yusei opened his mouth to talk to her, but the magenta haired girl ran past him as if he wasn't even there. He did, however, catch the deep concern in her face, while she past him.

"Aki-" Yusei started before he was interrupted as he felt another piece of crab in his throat, while running to the sink to cough it out.

* * *

Crow was poking at Rua under the dining room table while they both heard Aki's hasty footsteps going up the stairs.

"You're a dead man." Crow said, poking the stiff twin, "You're really dead."

* * *

The door to the twins' room was kicked open and Aki charged into the room. Aki took a second to catch her breath from continuous sprinting. This was clearly shown by how the psychic girl had her hands on her knees.

"Ruka?!" Aki called out, her eyes glanced to the green haired girl who was sitting on her bed. Seeing how hunched up Ruka was, Aki's motherly instincts took over and quickly sat beside the girl.

"Ruka, what's wrong?" Aki asked, placing her hands over Ruka's shoulders.

Ruka yelped at the sudden touch cold touch, but relaxed when she recognized that it was simply Aki. Now if Ruka wasn't such in a wreak right now she would have gladly congratulated Aki for finally coming out of the basement.

"That idiot stole it." Ruka darkly told the psychic female, feeling angry from saying that. She could feel Aki's slight gasp of surprise from her hand.

"She must mean Rua." a calm man's voice spoke, making both of the girls jump.

"Yusei!" Aki exclaimed. Ruka looked up to see Yusei hovering over the two of them; however, she sensed the smell of crab breath blasting into her face. Ruka saw Yusei's chest expanding and retracting in rhythm. His face was all flushed, as if he was running from death itself. To Ruka, Yusei looked as if he was about to topple over the both of them because he was so close to them.

"Warn us before you get that close." Aki whispered, not masking the surprise or the bright blush as she waved her hand to push him away. Yusei stepped back and mouthed an apology to both of them. Ruka, buried her face into Aki in hopes to escape from the crab smell, secretly rolled her eyes and clear her throat. _You two are so oblivious._

"Aki." Ruka spoked, tugging on Aki's hand. Ruka felt Aki looking down at her. Ruka's dark glimer in her eyes was enough for Aki to understand what Ruka wanted.

"Can you go find Rua and bring him here, Yusei?" Aki calmly asked. Ruka could hear Yusei walking out of their room before looking up again.

"Don't worry, Ruka." Aki said, patting Ruka's head, "Rua will get it, trust me."

Ruka felt some of the anger going away in her, but now she could only stare at Aki.

"Uh…" Ruka was lost for words. She was happy that Aki is showing concern and caring for her, but Ruka didn't expect that their little chit-chat in the basement could had them bond that quickly. _It took Yusei two duels to just get her to calm down._

_Maybe it's because we are girls._ Ruka stole a glance at Aki. Aki was watching the girl with her usual expression, but the concern was there in her eyes.

"Ah!"

Rua's voice crying from outside, caught the attention of the both of them. Ruka and Aki shift their gazes to the door.

"That was fast." Ruka whispered. Aki, on the other hand, shook her head.

"That can't be Yusei's doing." Aki whispered, shaking her head at the door. Ruka lift her eyebrow up.

"How can you tell-"

"Ah! Put me down! Put me down!" Rua's voice interrupted again. Ruka then heard banging out in the hallway. Ruka's eyes widen. _Now Yusei is never that rough._

Before Ruka had finished contemplating who caught her culprit, the person with her answer had slammed the door open.

Jack marched into the room, with a wailing Rua over his shoulders; and Crow following suit. The blonde hair male dropped Rua on the ground without any gentleness in front of the two females. Ruka watches her older brother's face winch once his butt made contact to the wooden floor.

"Ow! Jack! That hurts..." Rua groaned as he scratched his butt. Rua's ponytail had been ruffled like a duck's feathers and his usual outfit has more wrinkles then their great-grandma Ruru had on her face.

Ruka then looked to Jack, speechless. His corn color hair was loose and hanging over the place, as if he have been ruffled as well. And what gave Ruka the creeps was the rips on the pjs. Or what was left of them anyway, since it looked as if Jack was in a barbaric fight.

How the heck did he respond that quickly, and more importantly, Jack?

"What the hell is going on here? Speak." Jack darkly cut in, making the twins and Crow jump. The tone of Jack's voice is harsh and annoyed; and it was aimed directly at Ruka. Ruka gulped, realizing that she must have awakened Jack's cranky side.

"Uh-"

"And make it quick." Jack added, his tired eyes narrowing more. Nevermind Rua, Ruka wanted to get away from Jack. Pronto.

"Rua stole something from Ruka." Aki explained, stepping into the gap between Ruka and Jack, "I think we can take it over from here Jack. Go back to your beauty sleep."

"Gladly." Jack replied as he made a sharp turn and marched to the door. Unfortunely, Mikage and Ushio decided it was the perfect time to enter the room.

Mikage froze in place once Jack came into her vision, but Ushio was not lucky enough to stop himself from crashing into the blonde king.

"Foo!" Ushio let out as he retailed into the ground. Jack, who is still standing, only grunt at his bodyguard.

"Out of my way." Jack mumbled as he continued past the now gaping Mikage into the hallway. Mikage timidly started to walk after him, but then Yusei walked in, looking all refreshed, at the perfect time, ironically, and blocked Mikage's way.

"It would be best if you leave him alone." Yusei said, Mikage opened her mouth to speak when a loud slam of the door next room over made her mouth shut.

Ruka decided that now would be the best time to let go of the breath she had held in for a long time and focus her attention on her older twin brother. Rua was staring at her, looking apprehensive on how to deal with the stutation at hand.

"Okay Rua, fork it over!" Ruka ordered him, wanting to get this over with. The sooner he gives it over, the sooner all these people will leave her room.

Ruka saw her brother winched from her order. But to Ruka's surprise, he gave her a questioning look.

"But shouldn't this be given to Aki?"

Ruka felt something heavy drop in her body, as everyone's eyes suddenly look at her. She felt Aki's eyes looking at her the strongest and no doubt her glance at the twin is a confuse one.

She narrowed her eyes until practially they were only silts beaming at Rua, wishing that she had Aki's destructive powers and could make her Anicent Fairy Dragon go after him.

"Rua, just give it to me so I can go to bed." Ruka darkly ordered, feeling red in the face.

With everyone silently watching her brother and herself arguing, the green haired girl couldn't think of anything worse than her own humiliation. _Now I know how Jack feels._

"But you want to give this story to Aki, right?" Rua explained, pulling out the red notebook, "It's right here-"

Ruka snatched the notebook quickly before Rua set off what could have been her downfall.

"Just leave." Ruka said, looking at the ground. She felt Aki's gaze again and her own face redden even deeper. _No way I am going to give this to her now…_

"I was thinking you should read it out loud to us, since it has all of us in it." Rua suggested, while innocently looking at his little sister.

Ruka's body became numb and cold. It was as if her very soul was being ripped out of her body violently in spasms. Then, her eyes widened and she looked up and shouted

"ABSOLUTLEY NOT!"

"I think this is what we need right now, a happy boost." Rua innocently and cheerfully said

"It's just a story Rua!" Ruka lashed back like a burning whip flailing upon one's back.

"Then you shouldn't feel all embarrassed about it." Rua replied slyly.

Ruka bit her lip. She couldn't think of any comeback that would easily remove Rua from the room and stop his interrogating and prying into her business.

"Actually, I will forgive you for missing dinner if you read it out loud." Crow suddenly spoke, with his hands rubbing together, "I am very anixous to see if your story telling is about as great as mine."

Ruka felt a red flag going up in her brain and instantly realized the malice and the intent behind Crow's words when she saw Crow smirking at her. _He's trying to bait you with guilt and a challenge, Ruka. Don't give into sympathy and pride-_

"Rua says that you make stories that really inspire people." Crow's façade continued, putting his hand on Rua's shoulder, "Rua was just showing me a couple pages of your Sleeping Rose story and we both think it will serve as motvation for all of us keep going with this battle if this is share to all."

"Unless there is an ulterior motive in your story that is very personal and will offend someone in particular" Crow finish, his eyes giving a twinkle- and direct hit to Ruka's dignity.

_"Damn it!"_ Ruka mentally swore, she was falling into Crow's "claws" so to speak, there were only two choices.

If she denies writing a personal story, then she will have to read it out loud; but that means everyone will hear it, and most likely pick up some subliminal messages. But if she admits to this, then she won't have to read it; however, then they will know she wrote something personal about someone for her own pleasure and will create unessary awkward tension.

What's her choice? It's a lose-lose stutation.

"Ruka said it's just a story, Crow. She's not the type to offend people. " Aki stepped in, putting her hand on Ruka's shoulder. Ruka jerked at the sudden contact, but relaxed. Aki was going to save her butt, again. _Thank roses._

"She's just scared that you will get mad that her story is way better then yours." Aki said, giving a small smirk while patting Ruka on the back. There was no way she was going to let Ruka's brother and Crow take advantage of her. They had bonds, there was no ignoring them now.

Ruka and Crow both jaw dropped and Crow's headband also suddenly dropped over his eyes, as if on cue. Aki Izayoi was the last person they expected to give any emotion, let alone defend the girl.

Ruka could only glance up and give a stun look at her sister figure. _I am?_

"What?" Crow hollered, shifting his headband back to it's place in his hair, "What makes you think that?"

"Well, didn't you and Rua agree that her story will help us get back on our feet?" Aki question, keeping her cool, calculated nature. Crow scratch the back of his head.

"Yes-"

"So subconsiously you have admitted to everyone, including myself, that she has infact concoted a story that would not only bring amusement, but lift our spirits."

"No way."

"Then shouldn't you come up with a story that is at least on-par with her's? Or have you admitted defeat and declared yourself a loser?"

Crow paused for a moment and then smirked at both female signers. _I like your style, missy. Don't think you've won._

"Alright then, I'll make a story to help all you signers get over your depression states, if Ruka fails that is." Crow stated, cracking his knuckles. Ruka couldn't help wondering, as she stared at Crow's hands, if his hands were ever not ocuppied with anything.

"The loser has to obey all winner's commands for a week. A bonus week is added for every time Jack or Yusei make a funny face during the story." Crow explains.

"Now all of you are being ridiculous. Do you all not understand that there are more important ventures? " Yusei cut in, having everyone looking at him now, which was behind Ruka and Aki. Yusei kick off the wall he was leaning against and move closer to the girls.

"It's late into the night, and we all just survived crucial battles." Yusei stated, "We don't really have the time to goof off. Godwin is going to call any minute now and I think we should use this time wisely to rest up."

For five seconds, everyone was deep in thought about what Yusei just said. Ruka was on Yusei's side, wanting to forget this scenrio as soon as possible.

But as she was about to talk, everyone started to talk at the same time. Ruka couldn't identify anything from all the different noise levels and tones, so she decided to not say anything.

Ruka heard Yusei sighing and directed her attention to see if she could sense some crankyness from him but thankfully, it wasn't as obnoxous as Jack's. His eyes were dark, but then again, not as much as Jack's.

_"Then again…" _Ruka traveled off into her thoughts as she looked up to Aki and then to the wall where the room Jack was sleeping in. Her eyes then glanced to the window, where she could only see the same gray clouds.

Seeing those clouds sparked a reminder in her brain. She made this story, in hopes to help Aki to smile, because of all she had to overcome. Her story was rushed because of her somewhat fairytale past.

Ruka glanced at her notebook and she suddenly saw herself, a while ago, writing this story.

She said she was going to write it for Aki, but she remembers thinking of other faces that she wrote in this story as well. Aki's face was the strongest, yet she couldn't help but wonder if Aki's past, was not the only thing that caused her story to rush.

Noting the clouds again, Ruka remembered how much they adapted to this dark moment. This is not just a group of Signers but as well… Ruka thought as she eyes the non-signers in the room. From Crow who is loosing to Aki for some reason, to Mikage and Ushio arguing about something at the corner of the room; Ruka suddenly feels their stress too.

There is so much she didn't know about each person in this room, including her own brother, yet they sufferred as much as she and Aki did.

Ruka recalled her frustration of trying to perfect their characterization in the story, knowing that she lacked a lot of information despite being with them for a long time now.

Is this story rushed also from wanting to know more about everyone in here? Could knowing, be the answer to get back on their legs and look to the future?

It could be, and suddenly, the idea of sharing the story might not be a bad idea. She suddenly felt lighter, as if finding out her path took off her cloud of darkness.

"Deal." Ruka spoke, causing everyone to stop talking and look at her.

"Are you sure?" Aki asked, surprise in her amber eyes.

"I am sure. And I want everyone in here." Ruka spoke with determination.

She didn't care if she won that stupid bet or not. She wanted everyone to smile again; she didn't care that it meant being humiliated here and there, after all nothing is achieved without action.

* * *

Ruka watched the scene in front of her with amusement and sweatdropped.

"This bed is heavy!" Rua complained, as he unsucessfully tried to push his own bed.

"Your supposed to lift the bed, you idiot." Ruka explained, shaking her head in disbelief.

Ruka made the decision to put both beds in their room together so everyone could sit in a circle. She logically should have used a more reasonable place, such as their living room, but she couldn't bear the thought of reading or writing outside of her room. _It just works that way._

"Oh." Rua said, staring at the bed. Then he tried to lift the bed by lifting of the legs. Ruka groaned.

Being the kind sister that she is, she forgave Rua, but still made him do one of her chores. (As per suggested by Yusei) In fact, if Rua never stole it, Ruka would have never realize her true purpose of her creation.

How her brother's idiotic ideas end up benefical, will forever be a mystery to her.

"Can anyone help this idiot move his bed?" Ruka called out, looking over her shoulder. She saw Yusei finish pushing her bed to the wall with an easy reflex of his knees. He looked up when Ruka asked him a question.

"Yeah, be there in a minute." Yusei told Ruka, nodding at her and went back to his work. Ruka nodded back, even thought he wouldn't see it.

She then walked out of her room, leaving the two boys be.

"Jack! This is urgent! Please wake up!"

Ruka stopped walking and turned to see Mikage knocking on the guest room door. Ruka also saw Ushio leaning on the wall right across the door, looking annoyed.

"It's easier to just let me march in there and drag him by the ear." Ushio told her. Mikage look over her shoulder and glared at him.

"That will hurt him!"

"Wouldn't that be the point-OW!"

Mikage slammed her elbow into Ushio's ribs. Ushio rubbed the area where Mikage had attacked mildly, while the said attacker resumed knocking at the door.

"Jack! Please wake up!" Mikage cried continually.

Ruka sighed and went down the opposite way down of the hallway. She knew of Ushio's crush on Mikage and Mikage's crush on Jack because of their actions. Heck, she even knew of their jealously of their rivals.

She frowned when Carly's face appeared in her mind.

Jack still didn't tell them about her, from the look of it. _But then again…_

Ruka glanced over her shoulder to look at Mikage, trying to smack Ushio with a rolled up newspaper. Ruka then shifted her eyes to the guest door where Jack is (hopefully) sleeping.

_…Just how painful is it to talk about the one who saved you, when you can't even save them in return?_

Ruka's heart tightened at the thought of it. She had always considered Jack and Carly's connection different from all the other connections between Signers and Dark Signers.

Carly never had a grudge for Jack, but became a Dark Signer because of her feelings for him. That very person was the one who changed Jack for the better, who became the destined opponent.

Jack only gave those little details about their battle and past to his signer comrades, but even those little details seem to be too much for the blonde haired ex-king to speak about. Jack's expressions and carrying Carly's glasses were enough to say that he wanted to save her.

Watching Mikage continually slamming the newspaper at Ushio's arm, Ruka could only hope they will understand, once Jack regains enough composition to tell them.

"ACK! My eye! My eye!" Ushio hollered as he covers his left eye, turning his back to Mikage. Mikage stared at him for a bit, but then turned around to continue knocking for Jack.

Not wanting to witness cranky Jack again, Ruka began walking again. _I did tell them that Jack didn't have to come since he is, after all, right next door._

She then went down her list of people in her head.

Yusei and Rua are doing the bed arrangements. _Well, Yusei mostly._

Mikage and Ushio are getting Jack. _Best if they leave him be._

Crow is getting Himuro and Yanagi up, since no one else wants to go wake them up.

_That just leaves…_

Ruka felt a hand on her shoulder, cutting her from her thoughts. Ruka looked over her shoulder.

"Is anyone allergic to peanuts?" Aki asked. Ruka raised her eyebrow.

"No?" Ruka responded, mid-sentence and question.

"Guess vanilla is then." Aki said, releasing her hand from Ruka's shoulders. Ruka could only stare at the older female. _Peanuts? Vanilla?_

"Aren't you supposed to go find extra blankets?" Ruka asked, remembering asking Aki to go get blankets. Aki's lips press together a little bit.

"Yusei told me he'll get them." Aki answered, bitterly, "Sometimes, he's too much of a gentleman…"

"I can't disagree with you there." Ruka said, looking away from Aki. The only time he oversteps his boundaries to be a gentleman is when Aki is involved. Somehow, Ruka couldn't look at Aki when she thought of this.

"You ready for your reading?" Aki asked, making Ruka turn to look at her again.

"I guess so." Ruka said, fiddling with her sleeves. She felt Aki glance at her.

"You're going to do great. It's just a story, right?" Aki said, giving a slight smile to the girl.

"Yes, it is." Ruka replied, feeling her tongue becoming more heavy after each word spoken.

It is a story. But it's not just a story. Ruka had made the story for Aki, and she had put her wishes for the older signer in this story. The green hair girl had no doubt that those very wishes went for the others now too, but there is one wish that she made for Aki only, and she hoped that only Aki would get it.

* * *

_"This is REALLY awkward."_ Ruka thought repetitively as she shifted back and forth uncomfortably on the edge of her bed, but only to have her back meet with the wall.

Looking around her, everyone, minus Jack, was able to fit in the combined beds that were mashed together. Ruka never thought that their beds were this big (especially after Yusei discover how to extend the bed frames of Rua's bed). Even though they are so close to each other, it's not like they were smashed.

Ruka start to her left, which was Aki. She was staring off into nowhere and looking quite peaceful in her spot on the bed. She wasn't in the pjs that Ruka offered her, but she was still comfortable in her usual outfit (minus the heels).

It turns out that Aki made cookies while everyone was getting ready. Ruka forgot that she had instant plain cookie mix in the fridge, and Aki came across them while looking for any leftovers for dinner. Aki decided to add an "additional flavor" to make the cookies "more interesting." Aki told Ruka that she would bring them out if someone gets hungry.

Next to Aki was Yusei, who had volunteered to be the one to sit at the cracks between the two beds. He had the same expression as Aki, but somehow tried to hide his discomfort. He didn't have his boots and gloves on, exposing his white socks. _I hope they are clean, Yusei._

But what caught her attention was how he was trying to make himself comfortable. How Ruka could tell was because she herself kept getting squished into the bedroom wall whenever Yusei tried to move closer to Aki, causing Aki to move into Ruka, and Ruka herself pushing Aki back to her spot, forcing Yusei to move back to his spot on the cracks. _I question his reasons sometimes._

Ignoring another pushing round, Ruka looked to Yanagi, who was next to Yusei. Yanagi was twiddling his thumbs, in his nightgown, and talking to Himuro about some treasure hunts he went on in the past. Himuro, who is next to Yanagi and wearing his normal clothes, was the last person on Ruka's side. He had his left leg hanging out of the bed, just so there is room. Himuro was listening to Yanagi's stories with interest. It was interesting to note that despite a huge age gap and major differences, those two got along great.

Ruka looked to Yusei, according to Himuro, he was the one who brought them together as friends. Ruka couldn't help but smile.

Learning from Rudger, Yusei was named after a project his late father did 17 years ago. Yusei's father wished for him to connect with people through bonds. _It seems that his father's wish has been granted._

Glancing across Himuro, Ushio's position was identical to Himuro, except it was with his right leg and still in his guard uniform. He was nervously trying to whisper something to Mikage, but the blue haired woman who was wearing the twins' mother's nightgown kept shaking her head, like she was disagreeing with something. Something about Jack, no doubt.

Next to Mikage, Crow, who is still wearing his outfit, was listening in to Yanagi's stories. He cut in, often for a comment, and would then get scolded by Himuro for interrupting. As Ruka looked at him, she wondered what story he will tell after her, if she fails.

_If I fail…_

"Hey, Ruka! Don't fall asleep now!"

Ruka looked at the last person on the opposite side, and who is across from her directly. He was wearing identical night pjs as her, except for the fact that his was not pink, it is blue.

"I'm awake, Rua." Ruka said, giving a grin.

"Okay! Looks like everyone but Jack is here." Crow announced, cracking his knuckles. Ruka was getting creeped out about how Crow was constantly cracking his knuckles, but she was too nervous to yell at him.

"Let him be, Crow." Yusei told him, "You know how he gets to be."

"Yeah, but part of the deal is that if you or-"

"Plus he is behind the wall where the twins are." Yusei cut in, making Crow glare at him.

"He is still up. As we speak, he is moving around looking for something." Crow said. Mikage's eyes lit up.

"He's up?"

"He's need to use the restroom, I guess." Yusei explain, "And if anything disrupts him whenever he gets up during his beauty sleep-"

"It's the end of the world." Crow finished, adding an explosive sound at the end. Yusei narrowed his eyes at Crow.

"He means that Jack will do what he had almost did to Rua earlier." Yusei finished.

Ruka and everyone else could only widen their eyes in silence. Rua's back stiffened at the terrible memory of Jack trying to chase him with his D-Wheel when he woke him up to ask about Carly.

Ushio cleared his throat and poke at Mikage.

"Well, since Jack is not going to join us, can I-?"

"**IT'S GONE!**"

A dark roar coming from the other side of the wall caused Ruka's body to stop functioning in fear, she also saw everyone else reacting to the roar in fear. Even Yusei had his eyes widened in fear, which made Ruka feel even more scared.

CRACK.

The door flew off its hinges, causing Ruka to jump in fear. She felt Aki's arm encircling her, protectively. Ruka also saw Yusei blocking both female signers' view with his back.

"Oh shit." Ruka heard Yusei whisper under his breath. Ruka saw an opening for viewing throught Yusei's arm and look through.

And wish she hadn't.

Standing at the edge of the bed, Jack look worse then he was a couple hours ago. His hair is unrecognizable, a big blonde hair mess. His eyes are the darkest purple she has seen in his eyes.

But the worse was that he was wearing only in a towel.

"Who took my underwear?" Jack darkly asks, in a tone unrecognizable to Ruka.

Everyone else blankly stare at Jack, either too scarce or amuse to say anything.

But Ruka could only glare at the Rua, who is on the verge of fainting.

"Alternative, huh?" Ruka asked in a low voice . Rua laughed nervously and played with his night cap.

"It was soft..."

Ruka rolled her eyes. Someone has to tie her brother up, and put a big gag in his mouth.

* * *

"This is stupid."

"You could go back to your bed."

"Not after what just happened."

"Well, then aren't you moving?"

"I'm too comfortable to move."

"I can see why." Yusei said, signaling the end of their therapy. He groaned disapprovingly at Jack, who changed into his normal outfit.

Jack was sitting at the edge of the bed between Himuro and Ushio. He was sitting with his legs crossed and was using both Himuro's and Ushio's bended legs asback support. Himuro and Ushio both gave each other discomforting looks, no doubt wishing they could kick the blond right there and now.

Jack was not looking at Yusei at all, but rather he was glaring at Rua. Rua was nervously twiddling his thumbs and was careful not to meet his eyes with his. His light brown eyes were moving frantically around, making Ruka thinking that any second they will pop off their sockets.

Just as Rua surrendered Jack's silky boxers, the former king has threatened to use his D-Wheel on the young boy for practice. Yusei and Crow monitored the exchange closely between the Wing-tatooed signer and the young boy, so Jack will not lunge at him. Ruka found this interaction far more enteraining than the scene in the kitchen a few hours ago, as she had watched her brother holding out the boxers to Jack as if he were holding one of Yanagi's false teeth.

"Rua, you are going to make me dizzy if you keep moving your eyes like that." Ruka said, causing Rua to look at her.

"Er…sorry." Rua whispered and just stared down to his lap.

Ruka then felt everyone's eyes on her and began to feel nervous.

"So… should I begin?" Ruka said, almost squeezing it out at midsentense.

"How long is it?" Jack ask, staring at the red notebook that Ruka is now clutching tightly in her fingers.

"It doesn't matter as long Godwin doesn't call." Aki pointed out, "Other then that, enjoy, your majesty."

Jack grunted and muttered a few words under his breath. Mikage, who was close to him, turned red when she was able to catch the words.

Ruka took a deep breath and slowly opened the book.

Ruka clear her breath and began to read her creation.

"Once upon a time-"

"Is this the original version or the Disney version?" Jack cut in, making Ruka choke on her words.

"You arrogant-"

"Jack, we can find out." Yusei said, covering Aki's mouth from excecuting her name-calling. Ruka watched as Yusei releases his hand from her mouth and mouthed another apology to her. The green haired girl watched Aki's lips press tighter than before and could have swore Ruka heard Aki mummbling something about a donkey's butt.

"Sorry for our rudeness, Ruka." Yusei suddenly spoke. Ruka nodded at him.

"It's fine. I actually took a little from each version." Ruka said, "I don't mind comments, as long it doesn't hurt someone."

"You could have mentioned that sooner." Jack said, glaring at Aki. Ruka turned her attention to her notebook.

"Okay then…"

Ruka cleared her throat again, feeling her heart pounding against her chest. _This is it. Once I start, I must finish._

"Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a peaceful and successful kingdom called Domino…"

* * *

So now Ruka is going to read her creation to the crew. It's going to be hard trying to do her writing style, but I'll try my best.

Ruka: -pops out of no where- I'm going to have my Anicent Fairy Dragon eat you if you screw this up.

Me: -pokes Ruka's head- Hey! First off, I'm typing this for you. Second, I got buddies who will look over this for me. And thirdly, you don't have the personailty and power to send out the dragon.

Ruka: True, I can't, but _she_ will. -smirks as she pulls Aki out of nowhere-

Aki: Do anything bad to Ruka and you will deal with me. -evily smirks- _Personality. _

Me: -winches- Alright! Alright! I will! Now, you two, begone! Go bug other fanfic writers!

Hope you enjoy this chapter! See you next time!


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, time to tell you all the new format. From now until whatever the case, this is all Ruka's story (except for interruptions from the listeners). Tell Ruka and I if you don't like this format or whatever.

Ruka: -looks at the manuscript- This sounds a lot like your writing!

Me: -smiles- Then we think alike. I follow exactly what you said-

Ruka: -narrows her eyes- That's weak. I wouldn't write _this _terrible.

Me: -cries- Hey!

Saq has been busy and I have been busy, so I took the time to look over it until my eyes started to bleed whenever I got the chance. I may want to rewrite this chapter if I come up with a better way to present this.

Plus, I recently survive a semester of Writing Composition, so I hope I had improve on the editing aspects. Please tell me if any characters are off, or that something doesn't make sense.

Enjoy Chapter 4!

Regards,

Eefi-chan (who only owns this idea)

* * *

_Once upon a time, in a far away land, there live a peaceful and successful kingdom called Domino…_

_The Domino kingdom is rule by the Royal Fudos; a family highly loved by everyone regardless of class. The king is also known for his collaboration with the head fairy king, Rex Godwin. Together they make decisions in hopes to keep the whole Kingdom safe from the evil doers that occasionally challenge them. _

_But what the two men are really preparing for is the Battle of the Gods that is predicting to come again once five special individuals, known as Signers, are all born._

* * *

"So Yusei is going to be the sleeping beauty?" Ushio interrupt Ruka's reading, chuckling rudely. Ruka glare at the security guard.

"No." Ruka corrected him, tyring to knock off the image of Yusei in a tutu in her head, "I'm not even into a third of the page yet!"

"Sorry, but it's just that Yusei will look good in a tutu-"

"Shut up Ushio." Yusei and Jack both said, rubbing their own templates at the same time as to get Ushio's image off their heads.

* * *

_While both kings, along with Fudo's senators, work hard on finding those individuals, King Daisuke's fair queen and the head senator's wife wish to start on their families.

* * *

_

"Ah! So Aki's the princess of this story! And Yusei is going to be her prince!" Rua proudly spoke, as if he came up the solution for world hunger. His excitement caused him to jumped on his butt- making himself, Ruka, Crow, Aki, and Yusei's right side bounce slightly on the bed.

Ruka turn a slight red and raised the notebook higher to conceal her embrassment. Oh how she wished that Rua came with a mute button.

"Don't state the oblivious, Rua." She muttered in response.

Out of the corner of her left eye, she saw both Yusei and Aki lightly blushed. But Ruka then sees the others staring at them curiously, as if their relationship is suddenly interesting.

"Sure, but it's just a story right?" Aki said, trying to stay cool about it. Ruka felt Aki's well-hidden arm mildly nudge at her side, signaling to continue before it could get anymore awkward.

* * *

_One day, their wish came true when a foreign, distinctive frog name Jeager appeared to them during their hot baths, foretelling them the upcoming births of their first child and also with a message:_

_"Once those bundle of joys are born, one would become the star of hope and the other will become the beautiful rose lack of a thorn. "

* * *

_

Ruka paused her reading, suddenly aware that a hyena was hysterically laughing.

_Wait a hyena?_

She looks up from book, and saw who possess the terrible laughing.

Mikage was holding on to her stomach, leaning her head back against the bed rails in great laughter. Ruka notice that everyone else was staring at the blue hair women with the same expression as she is- speechless.

"Err, Mikage…" Ushio began, his surprise face giving away that he never saw this side of Mikage before, "W-Why are you laughing?"

Mikage drop her head back down. Ruka saw that her face was flush lightly with pink and wet with tears.

"Sorry…" Mikage said, trying to calm down, "But it's the image of Jeager being a frog that set me off."

"And it's funny because…?" Crow question, arching a eyebrow while folding his arms. Ruka suddenly remembers that Crow dueled him before the fog took over Satitlite and force them to stop their duel (or for the clown to chicken out, according to Crow).

"Who would kiss him?" the blue hair asked, losing control in her laughter again. Everyone else was dead silent, as if actually trying to picture this or wondering if Crow had put something in her crab that causes it.

Ruka, instinctually going with choice one, flashbacks to the clown that they encounter back at the Fortune Cup. She remembers him being short, having very pale skin, crazy light purple hair, clown make-up, that crazy laugh….

"_Okay, Mikage has a point there." _Ruka thought, burying her head into Aki's arm in hopes to rid the terrible image of Jeager the frog puckering it's froggy lips. She felt Aki's hand patting her head gently, sending the mental message of sympathy. She heard Crow lowly moan, as if he is becoming sick from the vision as well.

"Thanks for the image about your lovely co-worker, Mikage." Ruka heard Jack sarcastically said. She detects some disgust in his voice, and Ruka felt a tiny bit surprise that the blonde head actually try to picture that.

"Can we continue before Mikage starts losing it?" Jack asks, his voice directed to Ruka. Ruka look up and no doubt saw his violet irises glare at her.

"I'm not losing it, Jack, it's just that Jeager is more suitable as Godwin's frog rather then Godwin's best man-"

"Stop it!" Jack said, his face in utter disgust as he covered Mikage's mouth with his hand, "Ruka! Start reading before I have nightmares about Godwin and his frog!"

Ruka couldn't help, while watching the two people quibble in front of her, find this very amusing and suddenly learning about Jack and Mikage in a new way. She made a mental list of what she pull out from what she saw.

1. Jack is really talkative and cranky when he is not getting his beauty sleep. (_"Not to mention more open._" Ruka noted.)

2. Jack also gets bad mental images as easily as Ruka herself does.

3. Mikage seems to have a thing against Jeager.

4. Mikage needs to work on her laughing. (_"So that's why she never laughs."_ Ruka suddenly realize.)

"**RUKA!**"

"Oh, sorry." Ruka timidly respond as she picks up her notebook. _I think I prefer the arrogant Jack to this Jack.

* * *

_

_Months later, Jeager's prediction came true. In the late spring, a boy was born to the royal family. The boy was named Yusei, after the stone necklace he was born with. Yusei also bored the special mark that signalizes him as one of the five. A holiday was made on the day of his birth to celebrate Yusei's existence and his destined role as heir to the throne and as a Signer._

_Then, in the early fall two years later, a girl was born to the head senator's family. The girl was born with a beautiful rose in her hair. The proud parents name her Aki. Aki too had born the mark of a Signer on her arm as well._

_Right after Aki's birth, the king voices his wish to celebrate Aki's birth to the whole kingdom because she is destined to protect their kingdom, and later, to become Yusei's bride.

* * *

_

"Ah…" Crow cooed, mimicking a lovely-dovely face at Yusei and Aki. Rua watches Crow for a second and, seeing that it looks fun, mirrors the orange Robin Hood's face at his sibling figures. The two signers just give both of them disapproving glares. Ruka just rolled her eyes and continues on.

* * *

_And so, our story begins on the day of Aki's birth…_

The sun is shining it's brightest in the sky, with winds gently tangoing with the long fields of grass; carrying the sounds of music and joy from the Kingdom of Domino.

The people in the happy kingdom are all smiles and have eyes full of excitement and pride. Every villager, from the newborn recently born to the oldest hag in the kingdom, venture their way to the castle that centers the kingdom- where the party for the head senator's baby girl is taking place.

Birds fly through into the throne room, tweeting happy melodies as guests flutter around to socialize as butterflies. At the back, where the grand green curtains bearing the Royal Fudo crest hangs proudly, the thrones of the king and queen are place there. However, looking a bit past the Queen's left side, two honorary seats and a crib were place near them. A woman occupies the honorary seat between it's twin and the pink crib, her hand softly rocking the wooden cradle while watching the man who is at the crib's other side.

"Dearest one, Aki is not going anywhere." Setsuko Izayoi spokes gently to her worry sandy-hair husband. She adds a light chuckle at her husband's surprise look when he glances up.

Her chuckle sounds like content bells whispering, according to Hideo Izayoi. The sounds relax the head senator a bit, as he gave a crocked grin to his fair redhead wife.

She gave birth to their first-born child peacefully only half a day ago. He sees the fatigue that Setsuko is still enduring, her skin being paler then her usual light peach, but the content gleam in her red eyes is always there, never fading away for even a second.

"Dearest one, I know." He respond, turning to the crib while giving off a small smile, "But let me check her one more time."

Hideo hears Setsuko sighs lightly as he peeks into the pink crib that is place next to her chair. In her pink silk blanket, the baby newborn peacefully sleeps. Hideo watches his daughter's slightly open mouth breath as a moth, and then to her undisturbed eyelids with dark eyelashes. Her hair was magenta, and, despite being only a couple hours old, she already has her head cover in those magenta locks.

The rose she was born with gently rests on her hair, it's steam tied into a strand of pink-red hair. Its petals are as pure red, being just as delicate as the girl who wears it with its soft and moist appearance.

He gently reach out and softly stroke his little girl's pale cheek. Like any baby, her skin was smooth and tender, full of warmth. Aki didn't give any sign of disturbance at all and just slept on.

"You are so lucky to have a peaceful child." A cheerful voice whisper into the father's ear. Hideo stiffen at the sudden closeness of the voice, but he knew who was behind him.

"Your majesty." Hideo greeted, concealing his surprise as he turn to greet the king and good friend with a slight bow. Daisuke Fudo was flashing a satisfying smile to the head senator and gave a gentle chuckle. He had black hair that shines like black feathers, but the style of his hair could be write off like a crab- with the thick spikes sticking out in an orderly fashion and perfectly symmetrical (minus some hair somewhat covering his right eye).

"She's going to develop a father complex no doubt." The king spoked, his tone light. Hideo felt redden in the face at his friend's words, realizing that he must have look too attached to Aki. Daisuke gave out another laugh at his friend's reaction, but little less control as he holds his stomach a bit.

"Hideo, Hideo." The king chanted, slinging his arm around Hideo's shoulders. The head senator stiffen as if he became a twig, especially now that some guests are looking their way.

"Your majesty, there are people watching…" Hideo whispered through his teeth, feeling sweat formin on his back neck. He knows Daisuke very well, since they both go way back. But sometimes he wishes for the king to take his role seriously when it's mandatory.

As if he read the sandy-hair senator's mind, the king gave a goofy smile and turns him around to face the pink crib, blocking the guests' view of their face expressions.

"You really need to relax, buddy." Daisuke whispered, lifting his free arm up, "You haven't slept since Setsuko went into labor."

"It's fine." Hideo responded, "Besides, you were like this when Yusei was born."

The king's sky blue eyes lighten at the mention of his 2-year-old son's name. He took a moment to think, and then smile.

"Yes, but that's because he kept crying throughout the ceremony." Daisuke cheerfully spoke, laughing, "We had to cut the event short because of it."

"I remember." Hideo said, grinning a bit at the "pleasant" memory of Yusei crying non-stop. Remembering the event, Hideo is thankful that he was blessed with a quiet child.

* * *

"Any parent or guardian will be bless to not have a baby like Yusei back then." Jack interrupts, causing everyone to look at him.

"Why's that?" Rua asked, oblivious to Crow trying to hold his laughter back. Ruka peeked at Yusei, who was shooting a dangerous glare to Jack.

"That's nothing important." Yusei said, having an unexpected stubborn tone to his voice that halted the blonde head to continue. Seeing Jack's smirk, Ruka decides it was the perfect time to continue before Jack ends up getting killed by Yusei.

* * *

Both men became silent as they glance into the crib where Aki sleeps.

"She really is a beauty." Daisuke gently spoked, his eyes cast on to the sleeping girl, "She's truly the gift for your family."

Hideo felt pride from hearing his words, but the king's last statement caught his attention.

"What do you mean?" the senator asked, his amber eyes turning to his king's eyes. The king's face features suddenly change into more serious in a quick blink, surprising Hideo a bit.

"You know how long our families work together." The king began, walking closer to the crib. He leans against the side of the crib and watches Aki sleeping with complete calmness. Hideo nods at the fact. He knew what his king was going to say next, but the way his blue eyes watching the little girl with care made the senator want him to continue.

"Ever since we were young, I saw your family bleeding blood for our family." The king continue, not taking his eyes off of Aki, "I been thinking about what I could do as King to reward the Izayoi family."

"Your majesty, you did so many good things for us. I am grateful for all those and our friendship." Hideo cut in, smiling at the last part of the sentence. He was still getting over the shock of having this party celebrating Aki's birth, because he is just a senator. However, Daisuke and his wife insist. Hideo didn't have the guts to reject the idea because of their positions, especially after discovering the very long guest list.

Daisuke's blue eyes turn to the senator.

"Yes, but I felt it's not enough." Daisuke respond, giving a sad smile to him. Hideo knew what was coming next. He gave a deep sign, which felt very deep to his lungs.

"I am still not sure about Aki being betrothed to Yusei." Hideo spoked, letting out the silent concern that was swarming in his soul like a haunting ghost holding him. Daisuke smile sympathetically, his eyes going gentle like a riverbed.

"I expect that you still felt that ever since I first mention it to you before Yusei was born." Daisuke said, "At the time, I thought that will be the best thing I could give you."

"At the time?" Hideo asked, suddenly detecting a doubt. Did he upset his king?

"But when Aki was born, " the king paused, and look at the girl, "A lot of meanings came to be."

As on cue, Aki's eyelids flutter. Hideo and Daisuke watch as the little girl slowly opens her catlike amber eyes. Her eyes first laid on her father, but then she notice another head that she never saw before. Aki watches the king curiously, silently asking who is this weird looking person next to her father. Daisuke happily wave to the girl while Hideo lean over to get closer to his little girl.

"Had a nice nap, my dear girl?" Hideo softly spoke. He is still trying to find a good voice to use for his daughter, but he's not adaptable like Daisuke- who can switch easily as weather conditions.

Aki's mouth stretch open, making a tiny yawn. Her arms slowly raise a bit from the blanket. Hideo watches the blanket slipped off her right arm, revealing a big red birthmark that resembles a claw. Seeing the claw mark sent great fear in Hideo's heart. Fear great enough for his face to show it.

* * *

Ruka felt Aki stiffen a bit, but continue on.

* * *

He felt his king's hand on his shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze. But the head senator couldn't move, being paralyzed from the sight of the birthmark on his daughter's arm- and the fear in his heart.

"She's been chosen, just like Yusei." Hideo heard Daisuke saying, "Ever since I saw her birthmark, I felt her birth and both our children's destiny also meant that it's your time."

Hideo felt his king turning his face so they are eye-to-eye. Daisuke's sky blue eyes freed him from his frozen prison of the birthmark. His king's eyes are at it's most serious, but at the same time the most gentle.

"It's time that your family's blood to be honor." Daisuke said, each word with meaning and pride. The head senator felt his King's feelings from the words, and couldn't help feel so many emotions at the same time.

"T-Thank you." Hideo manages to get out, as if his brain wouldn't let him think at all.

"Besides, Yusei will protect her." Daisuke added on, suddenly switching to his cheerful self, "They both are destined to fight and to marry one another. Besides, don't you like us being relatives-in-law?"

Daisuke turn his attention from his friend to the crib. Hideo watches his daughter's amber eyes shift to look at his king. Daisuke flashes a goofy grin and lean casually into the crib as if Aki was suddenly his best friend.

"Good morning, Princess." Daisuke greeted her with his "special" kiddy's voice that he uses for Yusei. Hideo sigh and shook his head in disbelief as he saw a few guests watching their king oddly. _Why do I bother to worry about him sometimes?_

Hideo was deep in thought, reconsidering Daisuke's serious words. He stares at his daughter, whose big amber eyes are staring right back in curiosity, just like a small kitten. Looking into her eyes, Hideo sees the burden that she will have to carry out. She can't escape this faith, and he can't pull her out of it either. But Yusei also shares that same faith, as his king mentions. Now that Hideo thinks about it, those two are bond by not only by their marks and their destiny, but Daisuke's wish for them to marry so the Izayoi family would have lesser burdens.

"_Funny,"_ Hideo thought, finally getting Daisuke's words, _"Aki being born a Signer gives Daisuke more of a reason to consider the marriage. Does faith really want the pairing to happen?"_

Yusei's face appears in Hideo's thoughts. Hideo likes the boy despite his constant crying. The senator hopes that he doesn't, dear god, grow up goofy like his father. But Yusei has a good heart for a young age. Hideo smiles at the memories where Yusei would try to cheer everyone up. Putting his daughter's face with him, Hideo felt that Yusei could protect her. It's too early to detect how they will grow up, but the sandy-hair father starts to agree with Daisuke's words.

* * *

"Okay, Yusei is definably off character." Himuro spoked, "He does not go crying at every chance and smile like an idiot."

"He did when he was baby." Jack said, taking the liberty to do more damage, "He use to cry at everything that he didn't smile at, especially that time when I first show him Kuriboh-"

"Jack."

"What? It's true, Yusei. You were afraid that fur ball will eat you-"

"Just shut up."

* * *

Peeking a look at Aki, he sees his daughter giving an awkward look to the happily jabbering king who plant himself next to her. Hideo felt a smile growing on his face.

Feeling as if all the weight is lifted from his shoulders, Hideo felt a sudden flaming urge of having their children meet- replacing the worries that were once in his heart. Like a river on fire, he wants to see both children's reactions to each other and for them to bond.

"… and Prince Yusei and Uncle Daisuke will make sure she is never lonely when her silly father has to go to those very boring meetings-"

"Do you want Yusei to meet Aki now?" The head senator sharply cut Daisuke's silly talk like a knife, feeling red as blood in the face at being called "silly". The black hair king with crab shape hair send his senator a innocent, but innocent, but confused look.

* * *

"Why does my father sound like an idiot?" Yusei ask, making Ruka jolted, "When I talked to him, he's actually serious."

"Well, while you were in that Old Momentum, Crow was telling us about how Godwin work with your parents." Ruka replied, "Also, Rudger did tell us that he gets excite…"

Yusei didn't get to hear the last part of her sentence as he turns to glare at Crow, who flinches once their eyes met.

"Don't look at me, Godwin often speaks how your daddy can be childish when he is not serious."

"Yes, and this is the same person whose still admires his insane brother who cause the Zero Reverse and made Jack into a jerk."

"Hey!" Jack snapped at Yusei's comment, his eyes widen, as if he just got whipped hard.

"I actually agree with Yusei on that one." Aki spoked, amused at this.

_Make that three._ Ruka couldn't help feeling that Yusei will not let Jack off the hook for the while.

* * *

"Right now? I plan to have them meet at the betrothal ceremony." Daisuke said, but then grin, "But seeing you are in lighter spirits and more awake, I can't resist the rushing feeling either."

Both of them exchange genuine smiles- each showing their white clean teeth- something they haven't done in a while. Daisuke then raise his huge hand and snap his long fingers.

In a second, there was a sound of ruffling coming from the forest green curtains behind the chairs.

"Stupid curtains!" A voice muffle from behind the curtains. Both men exchange different looks disbelief and laughing from Hideo and Daisuke respectfully.

"The fold is to your left, Martha." Daisuke called out, scratching behind his head with his hand while grinning like an idiot at the big green curtains. Hideo watches as Martha emerges from the curtains in hasty fashion, appearing before the two men.

She has dark skin and hair, which is somewhat mess up because of the curtains, and is glaring dangerously at her king. Hideo secretly wishes to have the personal maid's back bone and attitude, because other then Daisuke's wife Yuuri Fudo, she can get the king out of non-sense by one look. Martha also holds the title of being the only one to stop Yusei's crying anytime.

* * *

"Yep, you go to Martha if Yusei starts crying because back then even gagging him didn't stop him." Jack spoke, smirking at Yusei. The black hair bike rider glare at his ridiculous friend in response.

"But I never got hit by the paddle on both butt cheeks until swollen." Yusei said, making Jack close his mouth. The blond head's cheeks redden and glare at his friend.

"Continue." Yusei gently told Ruka, giving her a small grin. She turn her attention to her notebook.

She still is trying to get over how very touchy men are over every single embarrassment that happens to them. _Or it could be just Jack and Yusei…

* * *

_

"I hate these curtains." Martha stated, as she patted her black brown hair and proceeds to neaten her maid skirts of black and white. Daisuke laughed.

"Sorry, you're going to have to fight Yuuri on that one. She really loves those curtains." He responds. Martha pressed her lips together, no doubt feeling defeat when it comes to facing the Queen.

"Can you bring Yusei out here? We want them to meet." Daisuke request, excitement escaping from his voice as he put his hands on Martha's shoulders and shakes her lightly.

"I will, but you better be calm when I get back." Martha said, pushing her king's hands off her shoulder's and, after a quick bow, retreat into the curtains. The men could hear Martha's curses while she struggles in the curtains.

The head senator gave his king a disapprove look. "She's going to kill you someday, you know?"

Daisuke grin at Hideo's comment and expression, "Yuuri will save me, as always."

Hideo decides to not comment further and direct his attention to his wife, who was sleeping peacefully on the chair. The sandy-hair man gave a gentle smile to his wife and walk towards her.

Setsuko has the most sensitive senses Hideo ever saw, and usually she would wake to any sound as low as a rat entering the room next door. But, thankfully, the tiredness from giving birth to Aki had caught up to her. He leans over towards her ear, which was cover by her red hair.

"The birds are singing to us, love." Hideo seductively whispers into his wife's ear. He felt her smiling and letting out the bell-like chuckles.

"They sound lovely, love." She respond, opening her cat-like red eyes, meeting with her husband's amber eyes.

"Wahh!"

-And then Yusei's crying made both of them jumps. Both parents instinctively peek down to the crib, where Aki was staring at them intensely with her amber eyes. Hideo took his eyes off of his daughter, and straighten up.

"Lovely indeed…" Hideo sarcastically mumbles, and swing around to be greet by a woman.

"Can you help me control that idiot of a husband of mine?" Yuuri asked, having her hands on her hips. She has brunette hair put up in an upside down ponytail and sea-blue eyes. The queen was so short and petite that the senator had to look down to make eye contact with her. Before Hideo could open his mouth to ask, Daisuke's voice reach his ears.

"-My cute little son! You are going to meet your princess today!-"

Hideo glance up and over Yuuri's head, seeing Daisuke failing to calm his two-year-old son. The king had the prince over his head, spinning around like an idiot. Martha was trying to stop her king by trying to grab the little boy, but her short arms fail her to Daisuke's tall height. The head maid then resort to try to get Yusei's attention by using the special whistle tone, but Daisuke's fast spinning and non-stop talking made it impossible.

Stealing a look at Setsuko, Hideo saw his wife holding her ears, wincing every time the pitch of the little boy got louder. Hideo sigh in great disbelief as he saw guests staring at him weirdly.

"I don't know what to do with him anymore…" he bluntly said, suddenly feeling his lack of sleep catch up with him from watching Daisuke spinning. Yuuri's deep blue eyes show deep understanding for him as she lightly chuckle.

"Looks like I have to deal with him the hard way." She said casually, marching to where her husband is. The queen watches her husband spinning around, and quick as picking grapes, Yuuri quickly snatches Yusei without any effort. The king stops spinning around and notice that Yuuri has snatch Yusei away from him. The mouth gaping expression he wore, Hideo would, if it weren't for his position, laugh to tears.

"There, there, Yusei. You're with mommy now." Hideo hears Yuuri kindly cooed to the two-year-old. Hideo peeks over Yuuri's shoulders to see the prince.

Yusei was a spite image of his father, but he had his mother's sea-blue eyes and he lacks the hair covering his eye like his fathers.

A sparkle caught Hideo's amber eyes, causing them to draw down to where the prince's chest is.

Around the prince's neck and hanging on a special chain, it was the rock that Yusei was born with. The rock was a very dark navy, almost mistakenly black. But the strange thing is, when light touches it, the rock gives off a light sparkle, just like a star. According to Daisuke, this rock is rumor to have come from a special star in the sky back in the times of the Signers. The prince has calm down, his face no longer flush from all the crying, and was staring to where the crib is. Seeing what her son is looking at, Yuuri gently stroke his hair between her graceful fingers.

"You want to see Aki?" Yuuri ask lightly to Yusei, who look at his mother, "She's the baby who was inside Lady Izayoi's stomach for a while."

"Aki?" Yusei spoke, glancing over to the crib, his eyes sparkle at the sound of the name.

Hideo grinned at the memory of Yusei often hanging with his wife after announcing that they are having their first child. He remembers Yusei often looking deep in thought whenever he felt a kick from his wife's swollen stomach. Actually, he never cried when he was around his wife at the time, now Hideo thinks about it.

Remembering Daisuke's words, the senator watches Yusei staring at the crib with curiosity. A sudden thought came to him, and then he glance over to the king, who nodded at him.

"_So that's what he meant about Yusei protecting her."_ Hideo thought, nodding back at him with understanding.

"Aki." Yusei repeats, pointing to the crib and giving a smile to Hideo, "I want Aki."

Hideo twitched at Yusei's request. _A little forward there, my prince…_

"That's my boy!" Daisuke cheered, putting his arm around his wife's slender shoulders and patted his son on the head, who in turn smile at his father from the praise.

Yuuri and Setsuko, who came to join the queen, giggle at the prince's response.

"Of course, your highness, you may see Lady Aki." Setsuko spoke, bowing to him as she gesture her hand to the crib like opening a door.

The four parents and Yusei all crowd around Aki's crib, huddle around as if the crib is never there and they are in deep discussion about something personal.

But it's the total opposite inside the circle, as the four adults were talking lightly about the baby girl in the crib, making the small atmosphere for the girl friendly, but creepy at the same time.

"Yusei, this is Aki. See how pretty she is?" Hideo hears Yuuri talking to her son. The senator watches Yusei nods, his sea-blue eyes watching the girl.

Aki's amber eyes scan at each person, looking confuse about why there are so many people. Hideo gave his daughter a sympathetic smile, sending a mental apology to have her meet a lot of people at one time.

The head senator watches Yusei never taking his eyes off of her while his wife was gushing with Yusei's parents. His baby mouth was moving slightly and, for being an expert of reading lips, the head senator could see he was whispering Aki's name gently. Hideo notices that her daughter is still watching all the heads around her, seemingly to miss Yusei for some reason.

Yusei's mouth close after seeing that he can't get her attention. His eyes became lost looking at her, as if thinking of another way to get her attention. Hideo winces a bit once he sees the baby prince's lips beginning to press together. Recognizing this, Hideo's eyes widen and open his mouth to stop him- but only that he couldn't get a voice up his throat. _Oh no, don't you dare…!_

But to the head senator's surprise, Yusei then shook his head and gently patted his own tiny cheeks, as if to get himself focus. Hideo lifted his sandy eyebrow in confusion as Yusei repeat this gesture a couple more times. _He's slapping himself?

* * *

_

"Yusei does beat himself, but never that way." Crow spoke, stroking his chin and looking up, trying to recall any memories. He turns to Jack and said, "Did he ever smack himself?"

"Not that I know of." Jack answers, staring at Yusei as hoping to recall anymore Yusei-humilating stories. Yusei groaned at his two friends.

"Can we not make this sound like a sad, and not to mention wrong, story?"

"Well, typically anyone who live in Satellite has had a sad life-"

"You know what I mean, you jackass." Yusei darkly spoke, glaring at Jack. Crow had perfect timing to cover Rua's ears.

* * *

Grinning in relief, Hideo decides to let the prince be, and direct his attention to the other three. _He's odd, but still a good kid._

Once looking content, Yusei drop his hands and continue to watch Aki. Desperation seems to be evident in eyes very strongly, desperate to get her attention. He wants to meet her ever since he could remember, feeling a bond that is instantly string them together like the green stem that holds Aki's rose to her hair.

But this isn't just from the mark that his father, only about a half-day ago, claims that causes his attachment to the girl. Looking at the girl's dragon claw mark, He felt something natural from himself that made that little string stronger and bigger between her and her only.

Yusei has been tie down for a long time from running to see her after her birth. But now he's seeing her for the first time, and he yearns to touch the baby girl- her magenta hair that looks so soft to him, her rose that happily greets him with it's delicate petals, everything. But he is once again tied down again, only in mother's arms. He's so close, but yet so far. The fact made him want to cry in hopes to get out of this torture.

But in Aki's perverse, he felt that crying is ridiculous to him. Instead, the prince felt more impatient and determine. But this time, he is going to get her attention by force.

Yusei starts to lean forward towards Aki, his small light hand reaching out to her. Unbeknown to him, the sleeve of his shirt was pull back a bit, revealing his dragon mark. Like hers, it was red, but it resembles more to a tail (or a scary face that makes him cry every time he sees it from a certain angle). Yusei's necklace swings a bit, intersecting a ray of sunlight coming from the window nearby. The rock gave a small blue sparkle, catching Aki's amber eyes. Yusei watches the newborn's head turning in his direction, finally have both eyes on him.

He froze his movement and both of their eyes stare into each other's. The prince felt the string connecting from their eyes, and the urge to pull that string so they could be closer. Seeing her pretty cat like eyes giving her complete attention to him, and only him, Yusei felt enchant to use this opportunity.

Yusei continue reaching out to her, but more hasty. Yuuri paused her gushing with Setsuko and tighten her grip on her boy before he fell off- surprising the Prince in the process.

"Oh, Yusei, you want to be that close to her? Why didn't you say so?" The queen told her son, smiling at him. Yusei blush slightly, but still didn't take his eyes off of Aki.

Happy that he could finally close the gab between them, Yusei give off a cheerful smile as his mother place him next to Aki. He felt all the adults' eyes watching him, but brushes the stalking feeling off since now he had the girl's attention all for himself.

* * *

"Jeez, baby Yusei, just do her right there if you want her, will you?"

"JACK!" Everyone else minus Rua roared at him, with red-face Yusei being the loudest. And thanks to Jack, everyone but Rua suffers the worst mental image of the night so far.

Rua gave a confuse glance at everyone, having no idea what that statement meant. At times like this, Ruka is glad that her brother is stupid.

* * *

"Aki." Yusei called out, placing his small hand on her hair and gently fingers it. He was right about her magenta locks, it was soft- softer then his pillows. He then fingers the petals- it's very delicate in details, but he felt strength from them opposing its appearance.

"Be gentle, Yusei." He heard his mother's voice whispering to him. Yusei pauses his fingering and glances at the girl. Aki was still staring at him intensely, wondering what he is doing. His finger then travel down to her cheek, enjoying the feeling of the smoothness and warmth of her skin. He wonders if Aki is enjoying the touch of his, wanting her to like it as much he is.

"Aki." Yusei called her name out again, but more softly and sincerely. Aki's amber eyes just watch him for a while, letting his head being a close distance from her and for him to touch her cheek like that.

Aki's hand then starts to lift up, starting to reach towards Yusei's face. The prince pauses his stroking, and let his eyes be hypnotized by the enchanting ambers. He dips his head closer to her, so she could reach for his skin. Her hand gently makes its way right at Yusei face-

-And then clamps hard on his nose.

* * *

"Ouch." Yanagi said, rubbing his own nose as if he felt the hard grab of his nose.

Rua stares at Aki's nails, color in red and long, and started to twinkle his nose uncontrollably. Aki covered her hands once she saw Rua's reaction.

Ruka gave Aki a nervous smile before continuing on.

* * *

"Oh! Yusei!" Yuuri exclaimed, quickly removing her son in time before he explodes into crying. Yusei starts to wail, surprisingly, mildly. Hideo and Setsuko look at each other in horror, then to Aki, who just blinks back at them, and then to the prince whom has his head buried in his mother's chest. Setsuko nervously went up to Yuuri to help her calm Yusei down while apologizing.

Daisuke let out an uncontrollable laughter, grabbing on to the wooden crib for balance. Hideo heard his king trying to talk, but his wave of laughers' cover the sound of the words like a rapid ocean wave covering the seashells from the beach. Using his awesome skills in translating lips, the head senator had translated the words. However, he wished that he didn't had to read that.

Hideo groan and mentally wishes for a hammer to knock the idiot out of Daisuke for his own good regardless if it meant his own life for hurting a king.

Ignoring him before the idea starts to become tempting, the head senator went up to join the ladies and Yusei. Yusei was still covering his nose with his hands. Hideo winches from seeing a little bit of blood squeezing from the little pale hands.

"I'm so sorry, your majesty-"

"It's alright. I told him to be gentle, but looks like his excitement was too much. Right, dear?" Yuuri explain, bouncing Yusei in her arms. Yusei gave a slight nod, still refusing to bring his head up. Hideo felt his pain; he would be like him if Setsuko ever stick her fingernails in his nose like that.

* * *

"He would do that way back then." Jack began speaking, his hand stroking his chin thoughtfully. Yusei send a warning glare to the blonde.

"Don't you dare."

"What? You know I would do the same thing back then too."

Then the atmosphere got awkward. Ruka quickly change her gaze to the book, the sound of turning the page very loud in the dead silence.

_They should have let Jack sleep. His openness is starting to __**really **__scare me.

* * *

_

A slap on the back brought Hideo back to reality. He shifts his amber eyes to glare at Daisuke, who has cease his laughing fit.

"It's true love alright." Daisuke stated, earning an another disapprove look from Hideo, " I mean, not right away, but it will grow into that."

Hideo's face softens a bit while his king continues on with his talking.

"- I know this from the first time Yuuri and I were bethrothed, she wanted to kill me because she couldn't stand my goofiness, you remember?"

"Oh yes." The senator blandly replied, images of young Yuuri doing the honors back then coming into mind.

"-But I know she loves me, and the pain was worth enduring because she stop doing it that once she had realized that she too had feelings for me." Daisuke finishes, glancing at his wife with loving eyes. The head senator frowned at him.

"Please don't sound like a mascoist, your majesty." Hideo asked, secretly praying that the two children will not have a relationship growth pattern like the king and queen. Daisuke gave a chuckle.

"Don't worry. I can't see them being that way growing up either." He said, reading Hideo as if the king shoot an perfect arrow at the bull's eye.

The head senator then watches the king moving his head to look at the small anicent sundial that is near the window closest to them. Daisuke's perfect black eyebrow lift up a bit, his face suddenly giving off a concern aura all of the sudden. He covers his face from the sandy-hair senator, making Hideo worry even more.

"Your majesty?" The head senator asked, placing his hand on the king's shoulder and try to glance at his face. He sees Daisuke's lips moving slightly just like Yusei's a while ago, but his voice decrease greatly. However, that didn't stop Hideo from translating the words-

And then felt a surprise that could have sent the head senator into a wall if convert to a punch.

"You did WHAT?" Hideo let out to the king, his off-guard pitch voice causing everyone to stop any action they were doing and turn their attention to the shock head senator and the goofy, but guilty king.

* * *

All right, I admit, this is a bad chapter! –cheers- I can't think of anything clever and end up making present Yusei being the target of all the jokes (if you haven't read my profile, I go hot and cold in my writings. I can't help it.). But that's about to change… -smirks-

Yusei's (mushy) point of view sence was written out while listening to "Quiet Determination" from Final Fantasy 12. And while writing this, I picture baby Yusei wearing something similar to Larsa's outfit in baby version. Seriously.

About the names of Yusei's parents, I thought Daisuke and Yuuri are cute names for his parents. Yes, I did hear about Hakase, but that means doctor or so in Japanese. Might change them if the creators officially decide to announce their names (which would be random because the father was only important minor for the whole origin story during the dark signers arc, and his mother only appear in a photograph).

And I do believe the mother has deeper blue eyes, because the father has lighter blue eyes compare to Yusei's (in my option). Yes, I know her eye color is not reveal, but I can't be illogical and put down that she has neon pink or sparkling ice green. You follow me?

I love Yusei's dad from the anime, but ever since hearing Rudger saying that he can get excite like a child, I can't help it. I get Kaien Cross from Vampire Knight in my head whenever I think of Yusei's father being funny (especially the spinning part).

See you all for Chapter 5!

_"Well, Jack, it's either that or be Yusei's noble donkey. And it was really hard decision, let me tell you." _

-Ruka, Chapter 5


	5. Chapter 5

Wow, look what college has done to me. It made me dead on here, and now I finally find time at the most random times? Again, wow.

Since I didn't write for AWHILE and was busy planning my yugioh fanfics, I am going to be completely off on my writing grove and on character in this chapter.

I kind of rush at the last half... so... eh.... T_T;

Enjoy (me hopes)!

Eefi (doesn't own yugioh 5D's)

* * *

"Hehehe…" Daisuke laugh nervously at his friend, watching his expression twisted between horror and shock. He knew that Hideo Izayoi, his always-by-the-book head senator, would not like this. The king could predict the sandy-hair man is debating weather to risk his job title to smack him in the head or not.

"This is now over the line, your majesty. I accepted the party, but now you invited…" Hideo couldn't finish, because he was still catching his breath from the excitement. But Daisuke knew what he is going to say.

"But she is a signer, buddy." He said, placing a hand on his shoulder. The senator's shoulder felt very tense once Daisuke's hand made contact. _Poor man never has fun in his life…_

"But she is not a royal! And they only do royals." Hideo whisper, his body tensing more when he suddenly notice the people watching them. The king note the people as well, gave a quick nod to Martha, and with his hand, he lead his senator towards the forest green curtains.

"I was able to convince Godwin because your Aki is the last one. And why not use the same three who did Yusei, who are also signers? The five of them can be together at last!" Daisuke whisper to Hideo in a serious tone. The king is no non-sense when it comes to signer business, because that's what he dedicate his life for as long as he can remember. He knows how Hideo is about things magical, but Daisuke needs his friend to understand that signers are just as important as royals. _And hopefully he can relax and think for himself for once…_

"Besides, Aki is going to be a royal in law in the future, so why not?" He slyly adds, hoping that fact will put his friend at ease. With Aki married to Yusei, then Hideo and his family will have not that much burdens to worry about. That was another life goal that was a little more of his personal compare to the signers, but both are just as difficult.

"You plan to have all five to be together when neither our children are at the age to defend themselves?" Hideo's worried voice interrupts the black hair king's thoughts. Daisuke froze a bit.

"We can come up with a solution." A voice hauntly interrupts his thinking. Daisuke, ignoring his sentator's sudden jolt of his shoulders, turn his head over his shoulder slightly.

"Ah! Good timing, Godwin." Daisuke said, mentally thanking gods for Godwin's perfect unexpected timing, "We were wondering where you were."

But then Daisuke notice an off fact right off the bat as if a brick suddenly hit him on the head.

"How come the announcer didn't announce you?" Daisuke question, quickly look towards the entrance of the throne room. The announcer, Lady Angela, was annocing the recent arrival when Daisuke has her in his sights. By the looks of it, she is doing her job…

He felt Godwin's firm glance at him, and turn around to actually get a good look at him. The fairy King Rex Godwin, as he always was, wore his long grey hair in a ponytail. He had his grayish robes on, none of them the same shade as his hair. Almost all the people who ever seen him can assume that he hides his rumor elegant fairy wings under those robes. But Daisuke knew that Rex, whose as powerful as his role, can makes his wings appear or disappear as he wishes without folding them.

Like the grayness of his appearance, he was giving Daisuke a serious look.

"Actually, there is something that I need to tell you urgently."

"Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention please?" Angela's voice, louder then ever, boom throughout the throne room, causing all actions to cease and attention to her, "May I present you the three fairies that are going to grant Lady Aki gifts!"

"Ugh… too early, didn't I train them well?" Daisuke heard the fairy king's disgust whisper, but brush it off. He will ask him later about what he needs to say. The gift ceremony is going to begin now, weather they are ready or not.

Daisuke quickly lead Hideo to his seat next to Setsuko, who mouth a thank you to him as she softly massage her husband's hand. He plotted himself next to his wife, who was holding Yusei in her arms still. Daisuke gave his young son a smile.

"Don't you remember Godwin, Yusei?" Daisuke asked his son, moving his head so Yusei could see the fairy king.

He watches his son looking up, and then once his big blue eyes focus on Godwin's serious face, he let out a big cry of fear. Daisuke heard Yuuri sighing in frustration, no doubt at him, and quickly tries to calm her boy down.

"He remembers." The king cheerfully spokes, smiling at Godwin. As expect from his long-time comrade, the older man only shook his head.

* * *

"Godwin had this disgust tone, while talking about how you always cry your hardest whenever you see him back then." Crow interrupts, his voice directed to Yusei, "I think maybe that's why he kind of hates you…"

"Hehehe, must be why he had you go through the whole torture back then." Jack said, smirking at Yusei. Yusei gritted his teeth at the memory of being "searched" for his dragon birthmark.

"Aw, your benefit man." Himuro spoked, grinning a bit to tease the blonde.

"I don't benefit from him anymore." Jack sternly replied quickly, litterly spitting.

"Then why are those people still here?" Rua asked, pointing to Mikage and Ushio. The pointed people flinched once everyone look at them.

"They don't have anything else to do." Jack answered, looking at the opposite direction.

* * *

"Please give a warm welcome to the first of the fairies!" Angela annoced. The whole throne room dimmed, except for the transparent spotlight that came from one of the high windows that overlook the sky.

Fireworks randomly appear around the spotlight, each explosion releasing a mysterious mist that hangs around.

"Oh great, he must make a show out of everything, must he?" The fairy king grumbled as he face palmed.

"Please welcome the number one fairy, JACK ATLAS!" Angela yelled out.

* * *

"WHAT?!" Jack hollered; his mouth hugely agape. Crow and Rua were roaring in laughter, clutching to each other by the arms to prevent them selves from breaking.

Ruka notice that Aki was quietly chuckling, having her hand covering her mouth. Yusei gave a small grin at his blonde friend.

"Why did you make me into a fairy?!" Jack asked, leaning forward directly to Ruka. Ruka did her best not to cringe in fear from the cranky 19-year-old, because she had a good reason for his position, and had expected him to get mad (but exploding was something else…).

"Well, Jack, it's either that or be Yusei's noble donkey. And it was really hard decision, let me tell you." Ruka explained, elegantly spoke with calmness that surprise herself. Jack's face whitens a bit and then reclines back on Ushio's knee.

"Being a fairy is fine." Jack said, staring at the ceiling with his nose high in the air, "Better then having Yusei's stinky butt on my back."

* * *

Emerging from the mysterious mist was a young man with blonde hair. He stands tall, and his chest out proudly as he proceeds to the front of the throne. His floor-length white jacket sways gracefully as he walks in rhythm with his dragon horn necklace that is hanging around his neck. He stops once he gets to the steps and gets down to his one knee to bow. His fairy wings unfold at the same time to show off its red color and sparkles in greeting.

"It is my greatest honor to be here to present to gift the last signer." He said in respected, his eyes directing to the crib where the mention signer is.

* * *

The notebook was snatched from her view, suddenly seeing her empty hands in front of her.

"Jack!" she suddenly heard Aki and Yusei hollering. Ruka's eyes shoot up to where Jack is.

"Oh, shut it. I am making corrections." Jack said, as he whipped out his trusty ATLAS pen. The pen was violet, and at the top was a chibi verison of Jack Atlus himself that lights up whenever the pen is press.

After a moment of watching the ATLAS pen blink off and on, Jack whipped the pen back into his pocket.

"If you are going to do me, then get it right!" Jack lectured as he "kindly" handed the notebook back to her. Ruka mouthed a dry thank you, and then directed her eyes back on the page.

Ruka raised her eyebrow at the purple markings on the page.

"Just read it." Jack darkly snapped, his eyebrows squishing his eyelids.

Ruka rolled her eyes, getting used to Jack's random dark modes, and started to try to read the terrible purple handwriting and spelling that makes Rua's writing abilities superior. _

* * *

_

Emerging from the mysterious mist was a young man with blonde hair. He stands tall like a kind-

* * *

"King!" Jack corrected.

* * *

He stands tall like a king, his chest puff out-

* * *

"Buff out!" Jack corrected.

Ruka felt a vain poped on her forehead.

* * *

His chest buff out proudly as he proceeds to the front of the throne. His floor-length macaroni-

* * *

"Maroon!" Jack corrected, his vain poped on his forehead. His arms, which were crossed his chest, tighten in their gripped.

"Do you want me to read it, Ruka?" Yusei's voice suddenly asked. Ruka looked up.

"_Gladly_" Ruka said, stressing it out as she handed the notebook over to the raven hair's outstretching hand.

Yusei examed the page for a bit, his eyes quickly skimming Jack's changes.

"I see nothing has changed." Yusei finally spoke, shifting his eyes to Jack. Everyone else, who hasn't seen Jack changes, was confuse about what Yusei meant.

However, Crow tried to cover his chuckling with his hand in the background after he figured out what Yusei meant. Jack gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Oh shut up and read it." Jack said, narrowing at him.

"If I could." Was Yusei's response, and then he took a slight breath. Looking at the text, Yusei hoped that Jack would never ever consider writing a book- especially an auto-biography.

* * *

Emerging from the mysterious mist was a young man with blonde hair. He stands tall like a king, and his chest buff out proudly as he proceeds to the front of the throne. His floor-length maroon jacket sways with the drift, lifting up like the cape of the great kings, as he walks in rhythm with his dragon horn necklace that is hanging around his strong neck. He stops once he gets to the steps and places his one leg on the first step. His dragon wings unfold at the same time to show off its magnificent size and kingly appearance. The audience gaped at the great appearance of this king-like young man. Their eyes watch in aw as Jack extended his finger to the crib that holds the last signer.

"I, Jack Atlus, have come to perform the miracle to help save the world." He said in his proud and loud voice that makes the grounds shake.

* * *

There was not even sounds of crickets chirpping after Yusei said the last line.

"And this is with me reading with the grammar fix…" Yusei said, furthering the awkwardness.

"It's in character, damn it!" Jack said, ignoring the grammar fact.

"Your ego is." Yusei countered as he handed the notebook to Ruka.

"I liked the first one better." Yanagi said, raising one finger to signal the first one. The majority of the people nodded in agreement.

"I liked Jack's version." Mikage said, hearts erupting from her eyes while putting two fingers up to signal the second version. Jack gave a proud grin to Mikage- causing the blue-haired female to blush hard. Ushio's lips pressed together hard in jealously; the idea of kicking Jack off the bed becoming more pleasant to him.

"See? Someone likes it." Jack said.

"Yeah, _someone_." Crow said, rolling his eyes at Jack and Mikage.

"I will consider keeping those… details…. But I am changing your introduction line." Ruka said, as her draws out her pen.

"No! Keep the line!" Jack hollered, leaning forward.

"You can say that line later. This is just a ceremony." Ruka said, trying to reason with the hard-to-agree

blonde head.

"You should also add that the fangirls died from the result of his 'kingly charm'-"

"Crow, don't give Jack anymore reasons." Yusei interrupt, while using his hand to stop Jack's advances to regrab the notebook.

"I was just being sarcastic."

"Without his beauty sleep, he can't tell at all."

"How about we continue on." Aki cutted in, slightly elbowing Ruka. Ruka gave a nod to the other female signer.

"_Gladly_."

* * *

"I, Jack Atlus, had come to gift the final signer." Jack annoced, the proud quality evident in his tone.

"It is my great honor to see you, your majesties and… your highness…"

The first fairy's eyes directed to the baby boy, who is settling on his mother's lap, when he spoke the last two words.

Yusei's blue eyes look up into the purple eyes of the fairy's. Jack narrowed his eyes, the flashback of what happen at the boy's ceremony that long ago…

"Jack! Look here!" a cheerful out of breath voice spoke. Jack broke eye contact and turn to the direction of the voice.

"Carly, not now." Jack spoke to the dark green hair girl who is next to the fairy king. Carly frowned and dropped her waving arms that contain her pencil and notepad. Her small fairy wings also dropped as well.

"You could at least say hello." She mumbled as she fixed her glasses she wore. She heard Rex clearing his throat, getting her attention and nervousness.

"You are late, Carly." The fairy king greeted her. Carly's eyes shyly peeked above her huge glasses.

"Sorry. But the information you wanted is-"

"We will talked later." Rex interrupted coldly, as he wipped out a sheet a paper without looking at her, "Hold on to this until then as well."

Carly took the sheet a paper and quickly scanned the paper. Her eyes widen when she read the words.

"Your majesty-"

"Later, Carly." Rex reminded her. Carly sighed and directed her attention to Jack.

"It is also my greatest honor to have Aki of the Izayoi family to be in our signer family." Jack finished his speech. He then raised his one hand.

"MIKAGE!" Jack called out, snapping his fingers, "MY WAND!"

A cloud poof out next to him and out came Jack's blue-haired assistant fairy, Mikage Sagiri. She gave him a bright smile.

"Here you go, Jack! All polish and ready to go!" Mikage cheerful said, carefully handing over a wand that looks very similar to the necklace that Jack wore.

"Aki of the Izayoi family, as a fellow signer, I present you the gift of beauty and grace!" Jack cried out as he raised his wand up, "Like the rose in your hair, you will grace to be the most beautiful of the rosebushes. Like the amber in your eyes, you will shine to be the most graceful of the kitty litter."

Jack then murmured some words in the fairy language. The horn-like wand started to glow, crimson flames erupting from the tip of the horn. On the right arm that is holding the wand, a birthmark of wings started to appear in bright red light.

As the flames start to fall towards the crib where Aki is, they gradually grew gentler. Gentle until they started to look like rose petals. The baby girl's amber eyes anticipated the flame-like rose petals and lifted her short arm to try to catch one. As her arm extendeds, her claw birthmark began to glow the same as Jack's.

Yusei suddenly felt a sharp burn on his right arm, and glanced down. But his mother covered the boy's mark, preventing him to be blinded by the red light.

"It's alright, Yusei." Yuuri gently spoke, "It's glowing because you are connected to them. Just like a bond."

"Like a bond…" Yusei repeated, looking down at the red light that is peeking out between his mother's fingers, "A bond…"

The audience applauds in Jack's performance as the flames and red lighting birthmarks slowly vanish, cheers and claps loud and energetic. Sounds of "So this is the power of the strongest fairy!", "Just like the fairy king's magic!", and other pleasant comments are bells to Jack's ears as he walks towards the fairy king.

"That was beautiful, Jack!" Mikage said, appearing beside him, "And this time there wasn't an interruption!"

Jack stole a look at Yusei, who was examming his arm where his birthmark was glowing.

"Don't remind me." Jack said as he unfold his wings when he is close enough to the fairy king, "You are dismissed now, Mikage. "

Mikage frowned as she received Jack's wand, "Can I stick around for the other two's performances and the food?"

"Sure." Jack respond, "Get me a cup of wine, then?"

"Alright." Mikage said as she made a u-turn, disappearing into the crowd section where the food is serve.

Rex gave him a nodded as Jack walked by, "Nicely done. Yusei didn't interrupt at all."

Jack gave a nodded back as he past him, going to where Carly is. Carly was looking nervous at her notebook and her back was to Jack, not noticing him going up to her. Her wings also twitched off and on.

"Carly?" Jack called out, getting her attention. Carly jumped.

"Oh, Jack!" Carly said, spinning around.

"You didn't see my performance?"

"I did! And it was really nice! You really surprise me with the gentle flames! I guess you didn't want to scare Yusei again with the meteor performance those years ago…"

"I didn't do it because of him." Jack said, shifting his eyes away from Carly slightly, "It was because it was for Lady Aki. And she is a girl baby."

But Carly raised her eyebrow. She was on target, and she knew it.

"That was in the past, Jack." Carly pouted, "Yusei was just surprise you with his crying during your performance…"

"He screwed me up."

"Now you can't hold a grudge over a baby, Jack."

"He screwed me up with his loud crying."

"Jack…" Carly warned, her lips twitching.

"He screwed my greatest performance with his loud crying-"

"GET OVER IT!" Carly yelled, causing everyone nearby to look at them.

Not far from them, Rex sighed at the two fairies, who are now bickering.

"Do you want me to break them apart?" Mikage spoked, appearing next to Godwin with a cup of wine in each of her small hands and somewhat of a smile on her face.

Rex took one glass from Mikage's hand and took a graceful sip from it. Mikage stole a glare at him, seeing that it was her cup that he took. But she cannot fight him, since he is the fairy king and all…

"No. I will deal with it." Rex said as he placed the cup back into Mikage's empty hand, "Please discard this, would you?"

And with that he left her to go deal with the two bickering fairies. Mikage sighed and look at the last cup of wine in her hand, which was for Jack.

"At least Jack will get his wine…"

Suddenly a huge hand snatches the cup from Mikage's hand. Mikage swirled around.

Gulping down the wine in one sip, Tetsu Ushio gave Mikage a smile, "Thanks for the wine, Miss Mikage!"

Mikage's face began to twist in anger.

"Oh, Miss Mikage?" Ushio asked, seeing that his blue hair companion is raising her fist.

"Ushio!" Mikage hollered as she gave an uppercut on Jack's bodyguard fairy's chin. Ushio cry out in pain, causing everyone nearby to look at them.

Not far from them, Rex sighed at the other two fairies, whom began to bicker just as he settle Jack and Carly.

.Rex turned his back on Mikage and Ushio and head back to his place.

"_I am just going to ignore them." _

"The next fairy is ready!" Angela annoced out loud, getting everyone's attention.

* * *

One word: Terrible.

Terrible, Terrible, and Terrible! ;

Oh well, at least now I got Jack's epic scene down.

PLEASE FLAME ME FOR GRAMMAR AND SPELLING! I NEED IT! -masochism mode-

Currently looking for beta readers for ALL my fanfics. :/ I guess?

Next time:

"Isn't it awkward to talk about yourself?"

-???


	6. Chapter 6

Wow, just woke up one day and said "I am going to do Chapter 6 for Sleeping Rose". And lookie here! I did it in a day. :P

I guess this is the chapter where _it_ kind of happens. What _it_? You got to read to find out.

Enjoy reading,

Eefi (does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D'S)

* * *

"I _do not_ hold a grudge over babies." Jack stated, his arms across his chest.

"Yeah you do." Crow said, mocking Jack by crossing his arms.

"Since when?" The blonde questioned.

Crow and Yusei exchanged looks at each other. Crow raised an eyebrow at the raven hair. Yusei sighed and nodded.

Smirking, the Black Feather duelist turned to Jack.

"Well, this little birdie told me one day that you were eating your cup of ramen noodles back at Martha's place. She asked you to watch that baby from the orphanage next door. While you were enjoying it, you suddenly had to go to the bathroom. So you left your ramen defenseless to the horror that is going to happen once you can back from doing both 1 and 2: The baby ate your ramen. He had escaped from his baby-seat just to taste your sacred food. Since then for a while, you would baby-proof all your ramens and never trusted anyone under 3-"

"That was ONE time." Jack said, getting red in the face, "When I was six."

"And six years later you saw the kid again and try to kill him with duel monster _holograms_." Crow said.

"Again, it was ONE time-"

"And since then you had to hide every cup of Ramen in your... now what they were called back then before you left us?... Oh! BRIEFS."

That hit sensitive spot of Jack Atlus. Jack was up on his knees in a instant, extending his finger out towards the ceiling.

"But that's MY RAMEN! My LIPS touches it, it's mine! Heck, I even spent my every ALLOWANCE on it! Hence it being more mine!" Jack pointed out, pointing his finger at himself.

"Over a frigging cup of ramen... Jack, sometimes I admire your stupidity."

"Alright Crow, end it. And Jack, put your gloves back on." Yusei cut in, again using his hands to stop Jack's advances. He turned to Ruka.

"Ruka?"

"Yeah, on it." she said as she turned the page of her notebook. Just before she open her mouth, Rua began to speak.

"Speaking of ramen, I thought I saw our four missing cups of ramen when I took Jack's boxers from his drawer-"

**"RUA!"** Jack roared, all red in the face. Lucky, Yusei still has his hands on him.

"Just start reading." Aki whispered, edging close to the girl, "Before we all become ramen."

Ruka gave a short laugh and continued on.

* * *

"Please welcome, Ruka!" Angela announces. Carly applaud cheerfully, happy to see another signer fairy. At the corner of her eye, she notice that Jack isn't clapping.

"Aren't you going to support your friend?" Carly asked. Jack only grunted in response. Carly was about to open her mouth to scold him, but a flash of light caught her eye- completely distracting her.

From the spotlight that was made by the noon sunlight, a green sphere of energy enters from the window and makes it way towards the ground. The sphere glides down, swinging gently like being in the winds. It was only a while when it finally touches the red carpet. The touch was silent and soft, as if gently putting down a fragile item that would break if even there was a slight pressure.

A nova of green light erupts from the sphere on it made contact with the ground. The light begins to make a silhouette shape of a human. The light breaks into glass like shards that fade once they reached the ground. Standing in place, in the center of the spotlight, was a girl who looked no more then 11.

Emerging from the spotlight, one can see- after adjusting their eyes from being expose to all the light- that she had hair color that is unnatural for a human. Her light-teal hair was put up into two ponytails that are close to her bangs.

Her small slippers didn't make any sound as she walked towards the front. The girl's dress is fairy like with the shades of green and blues. What stood out from those colors was the gold necklace she wore with a red ruby.

* * *

"Isn't it awkward to talk about yourself?" Yanagi asked.

Ruka blushed, "Well, I got to insert myself into this story, right?"

"Yes, but the way you are describing yourself so deeply and innocently-"

"Just ignore him, Ruka. He has forgotten to take his medicine again." Himuro said, clamping his hand over Yanagi's mouth, "Continue."

* * *

"Good day, you majesties and highnesses." Ruka greeted gently, giving curtly nods to the royal couple, Rex, and then to Yusei and Aki.

"I am here to gift the last signer the gift of intelligence and wit." She said. With a flick of her right hand, a delicate-looking gold wand appears before her. The blue transparent wings in her back unfolded on cue, slowly revealing itself. The light within the palace began to dimmed as well.

Ruka then whispered something in fairy-language, causing the wand in her hand to be engulf with light. Once bright enough, the light-teal hair fairy gently swings the wand around. Her body follows along, dancing to the light.

A small mark began to glow on Ruka's right wrist, revealing to be a shape of a claw. At the same time, the marks of Yusei's, Jack's, and Aki's began to glow as well.

Jack grumbled when Carly used her notebook to blocked the blinding red glow from his arm. He gently pushed the notebook off, to Carly's disappointment.

"I can't see." Carly whispered, frowning that she should had been at Jack's left side.

"Then move." Mikage advised, who was on the other side of Jack, glaring at Carly.

"But this is the best spot!" Carly whispered back, glaring back.

"Then don't complain and leave Jack alone!"

"I wasn't complaining!"

"Yes you are-"

"Both of you shut up!"

Both female fairies dropped their argument instantly after hearing the annoyed voice of Jack Atlus.

Sounds of wind whistling started up from the wand. As Ruka continued to dance, petals of light start to shed off of her and slowly made their way to the crib. The shapeless light petals rained into the cribbed, making twinkling bell-like noises.

The sparkles extended towards the audience. Little children that were present couldn't resist stretching their hands to the scattered light, wanting to feel it in their little hands.

The audience were relaxed and calmed at the sight of the light- whispers are soft, faces let loose, and eyes in peace.

Ruka, no longer covered in light, made a final pose to finish her performance. As she bowed to signal the end of her show, the lights in the palace slowly came back on the way they were before.

The audience applauded softly, still relaxed from the performance.

"Thank you." Ruka whispered as she gave curtly bows to the audience. She then turn and head towards where Jack is.

"Ah, Ruka's performance never ceases to calm my soul." Daisuke said, applauding. He lift his head to look at Rex, " Might as well enjoy it before the storm comes."

Rex stared at the king for a moment in silence. He then broke eye contact.

"Might as well, your majesty."

oooo

Yusei was staring at his arm again, which is no longer glowing. He life his head to look at Yuuri.

"Another bond?" He asked his mother. Yuuri's blue eyes smiled at Yusei and gave a small nod. Yusei then shift his attention to the crib, looking lost in thought.

oooo

"You did the same thing as last year." Jack said, earning a whack from Carly's notebook. Ruka rolled her eyes at him as she past him.

"I don't see anyone else complaining." Ruka answered back, as she took her place next to him.

"I am. You should had been at practice the day before." Jack said in a grumpy tone, "Where were you anyway?"

Ruka gave a surprise look at Jack and stared at him. But after a while she relaxed.

"I had matters to attend to." She said, fluttering her eyes to the crowd.

"Whatever." Jack said as he rubbed the spot on his arm. He frown at the glitter that got stuck on the coat from Carly's notebook. He grimaced and gave the fairy king a disgust look from the corner of his eye. He leaned back against one of the marble pillars and watched the crowd with no interest.

"Are you tired, Jack?" Mikage suddenly asked. Jack grunted.

"No."

"But you sound grumpy."

"That doesn't mean I am tired." Jack responded.

Mikage frowned and glanced around the room to search for something. Her yellowish eyes had spot something of interest right away.

"Oh! They finally brought in a barrel of refill the bowl with your favorite wine!" Mikage cheerfully said, pointing to the wine section, "I am going to get you a cup before it's gone!"

"That's fine." Jack responded. Mikage nodded.

"On it then!"

Mikage disappeared into the crowd in a flash. Jack shift his eyes to his bodyguard.

"Ushio go with her as well to make sure nothing happens." Jack ordered.

Ushio, who was next to Mikage, bowed and followed her into the crowd in an eager paced.

Jack closed his eyes, figuring he should relaxed until the last one comes. He leaned back in the pillar more, allowing himself to lose his hearing into the sounds of the people talking, children laughing, fires burning, glass breaking from the wine section…

Jack groaned. _"Don't tell me…"_

Then he heard another wine glass broke follow by a scream from a mad man. A mad man that Jack unfortunately knows.

"Mikage! It was just one sip!"

"It was for JACK, Ushio! FOR JACK!" Mikage's voice hollered.

Jack sighed and rubbed his templates to zone them out. How did he end up with them?

* * *

"Jack likes us." Mikage turns to Jack, "Right Jack?"

Jack was silent for a moment.

"I don't dislike you two." Jack said, "But you two breathe down my neck too much."

Then the two who Jack doesn't dislike yelled at the same time.

"That's because we care for you Jack!" Mikage said, her face gone to beef red, "We want to make sure you don't run into your own death!"

"Do you think I like breathing down a man's neck?" Ushio asked, veins popping all over the place, "I do this because I have bills to pay!"

They continued to bombarded Jack with sentences, while Jack himself tries to tone them out by plugging his thumbs into his ears.

"Heck, they really must care for Jack." Rua said, watching the policeman and the assistant in amusement. Ruka gave a grin at them.

"Guess you can't say they are for Godwin." Ruka said, "I mean, now I think about it, we wouldn't be saving the world if it weren't for their help."

Rua looked at her and nodded.

"I guess so, even if they are doing it for free." He said, smiling. Ushio's voice suddenly made both twins jolted.

"You! Twin that teleports! Get reading!"

* * *

"Damn, he is late." Jack spoke, "But at least he will come up something more interesting then dancing."

"Just ignore him." Ruka whispered just as Carly was about to shot her cannon-like mouth. Carly lowered her notebook and straighten her glasses.

"I never get bored with Ruka's performance." Carly commented, as she began to scribble things down, "Though I must admit it's getting hard to come up with new words for your performance each time…"

"Don't worry about it, you'll come up with something." Ruka reassured, "Especially when…"

Ruka then sighed in disgusted.

Carly halted her pencil writing and lift her eyes up to Ruka in interested. She sees Ruka's face twist in disgust. Ruka's ponytails bobble up and down as she shook her head in disapproval. Carly failed to catch what Ruka was mumbling about exactly- but she could guess. One sounded like "That idiot" and while another was "fairy"-

Something in her disordered brain snapped at the last key word in horror. Ignoring that her wings started to twitched like nuts again, she ushered Ruka closer to her.

"Carly?" Ruka questioned in confusion, but her light brown eyes became distracted of Carly's twitching wings.

The reporter gave shifty eyes in her surroundings, making sure no one was in earshot. Seeing that Jack is nearest to them, and looking the other way, Carly gently shoved a confused Ruka towards the end of the forest curtains, where the grayish marble pillar at the end could conceal them for the time being.

* * *

"Huh?" Ruka blinked, suddenly seeing her hands again.

"Jack!" Yusei's voice was enough to have Ruka's head look up from observing her hands.

"Just one add-on." Jack said, as he pull out his pen again and made quick scribbles, "And you."

He grabbed Mikage's arm and dragged her close to him, "Tell me how to spell this."

In hushed whispers, Jack uses his pen to point spots on the book while Mikage grabs his pen and makes the corrections for him. What was interesting, to Ruka at least, that Jack's eyebrows were twisting all over the place as the blue hair young women was helping him out. Jack also made a few frustrated sighs as he let Mikage corrected him.

It was hard to tell how much damage Jack is doing, since he has the notebook up. But at least Mikage is helping.

Ushio's eyes were narrowed to slits and his hands were fuming from the rage that is forming from what was going on. Ruka sighed at him and mentally pray that he will save his jealousy issues after they saved the world. She did heard from Yusei that that jealousy saved him and Mikage from drowning, but she is not going to take any chances. Especially in their situation right now.

"There done." Jack announced, putting his pen away, "You are dismissed now, Mikage."

He gave Mikage, who was rather too comfortable in her temporary spot, a slight push off of him.

Ruka extended her hand out gently towards Jack for her notebook. Jack grunted at her.

"No, Yusei is reading this." Jack said as he drops the notebook in front of the said person.

Yusei gave a disapprove look to Jack, but did it anyway.

* * *

Carly trips on the curtain and ends up falling into Ruka- who didn't have the time to register in her brain to move out of the way.

But due to Carly's odd luck, they manage to concealed this embarrassing moment by the big grayish marble pillar that they fell behind of. Ruka also was lucky that she wasn't squished to death since the older female awkwardly had landed only half of Ruka.

Carly then started to apologized like crazy until Mikage came to hit her with the newspaper-

* * *

"I didn't write that! Mikage!" Jack yelled turning to the culprit. Mikage blushed and nervously looked down.

"Whoops, didn't I got carried away there?" She replied, giggling sheepishly after saying it. Jack sighed and straighten up.

"Ugh, give me that notebook!" Jack said, trying to snatching the notebook from Yusei. But to his surprise, Yusei pulled away.

"Jack, is this really necessary?"

"Yes, if you respect a dead person, Yusei!"

"I understand that, but your writing skills are terrible. Wouldn't that be disrespectful-"

"Mikage is helping me."

"I can try."

"...You never met her!"

"But I know her."

"How?"

"You carry her glasses in your shirt and take them out often."

"…Just cross out the last line and use your imagination Yusei. But it better be in character!" Jack warned, raising his nose, ending the conversation.

Ruka could had swore she saw a victory smirk from Yusei, but then again she is getting dazed from watching them argue and Yusei would smirk over something like that…

Yusei wiped out his own pen that he cares around for mechanic purposes. The pen looked beat up and over used. The tail signer stabbed a corner of the paper a couple of times until he sees red ink on the paper.

"Wow, this pen still works." Yusei said, examining the pen more closely.

Twirling the pen around once, Yusei started to write in the notebook.

Aki tries to peek over Yusei's shoulder a couple of times, but he was always quicker and successfully hide his writing from her. Aki would then always pressed her lips together in frustration and try again.

"Here Ruka." Yusei said as he gave her back her notebook.

"Thanks." Ruka said as she retrieved her notebook. She right away spotted the red-ink paragraph in Yusei's neat and clean hand writing.

Ruka actually paused to stared at the almost perfect handwriting of Times New Roman. She doesn't know if she was impressed or weird out. _Maybe both._

"Ruka?" Yusei's voice snapped her out.

"Oh sorry!" Ruka said as she began reading.

* * *

"Ack! I'm so sorry! Are you okay Ruka?" Carly asked to her left where Ruka was. Ruka head was shifted down, using her right hand to eliminate the dust off the right side of her dress.

Carly locates her left foot in front of her and uses the leg stand on her two feet. She walks forward to Ruka, stops, and lifts her right arm out to Ruka in a 225 degree angel. Ruka lifts her head up 90 degrees and raises her left hand up to connect to hers.

"I am fine, thank you." Ruka answered as she was pulled up vertically by Carly.

* * *

"Uhhh…" Ruka was lost for words. Ruka had assumed that Yusei would be good with writing since he had corrected Jack's writing and has perfect handwriting but… She didn't even know how to even begin describing it.

"Is there one thing you don't apply machines to everyday life?" Crow finally asked, rolling his eyes.

"Just ignore him, Yusei. I thought it was unique." Aki spoke, giving a gentle touch on his bare arm. Yusei gave Aki a small nod, smiling. Crow rolled his eyes at them.

"Nevermind, Yusei, you can tell us guys later when there are no girls, okay?" Crow said.

Yusei raised an eyebrow in confusion, but then ignored it. He failed to notice how the older females had slight blushes on their faces or how the older males were rolling their eyes at Crow as he turned to Jack.

"Is that fine to your standards, Jack?" Yusei asked. Jack turned away and grunted.

"Whatever."

"Good, then Yusei would do the editing for you." Aki spoke, smirking at Jack.

"Hell no! I don't want my parts to sound mechanical!" Jack yelled. He then turned to Ruka.

"You! Read!" he ordered. Ruka felt a vein pop on her forehead.

_He is starting to really tick me off…

* * *

_

After making another round of shifty eyes to make sure she is cleared, her hands clamped into Ruka's shoulders.

"You know?" Carly asked, slightly shaking the girl. The shake has caused Carly's glasses to slipped off of place a tab bit, revealing her concerning blue eyes.

"About what?" Ruka asked, finally taking attention off from the twitching wings.

"About…" Carly bited her left side of her lip in hesitation, "About what just happen to Ru-!"

Ruka's gasping cause Carly to stop, causing her glasses to fall to the ground.

"Sorry." Ruka apologized as she quickly went down to fetch Carly's glasses after Carly releases her shoulders. She handed over the large-lens glasses to the reporter.

"So you know." Carly said, adjusting her glasses until she got her satisfied position. Ruka slowly nodded.

"Yes, it was last minute." Ruka spoke sadly, "…I see that you got hired to helped."

"Yeah." Carly replied, "It must been really hard for you two…"

"Yeah, but once we knock sense back into him, we can go as if nothing has happen." Ruka replied, grinning, "This role is a huge burden, and I would think that anyone, human or fairy or duel monster, would have mixed feelings of it."

The girl glanced at King Rex. "Plus, the king is taking care of it by asking King Daisuke to keep a sharp look out."

Carly felt her teeth biting her lips again, her hands fingering her notebook. Her finger felt a paper that is sticking out from her notebook, causing her tooth to further dig.

"Then, until then, who…?"

"I took care of it." Ruka said, her eyes away from Carly's and sighed in disgusted.

By the looks of Ruka, she doesn't even want to question it. And Carly has a pretty good idea what or in case, who, it is. So she decide to change the subject.

"I am surprised that Jack doesn't know since he is one of you…" Carly said glancing at the fairy in subject.

"I thought he knew." Ruka said, looking at Jack as well, "But I guess it's understandable since it's all sudden…Plus this is suppose to be top secret…"

Carly suddenly felt Ruka's eyes on her.

"You been biting your lip for a while, Carly. What's wrong?" Ruka suddenly asked, surprising Carly. Her tooth dig more into her lip and now she taste blood. Carly quickly licked her lips, thought she finds that she couldn't stop licking her lips.

"Carly? What's going on?" Ruka asked, serious now.

Carly cursed at herself for being so clumsy and felt her fingers tugging at the paper that was in the notebook with the recent information she unearthed- her mind doing ping-pong back and forth between wither to let Ruka know or not.

_"But she is a signer…"_

"Here." Carly quickly handed over Rex's report before she could think of a reason not to give it to her. Ruka stared at the paper that was being shook in the reporter's hand.

She grabbed Carly's shaking wrist with her left hand while using her right to get the paper.

Carly watched Ruka beginning to read the report. Carly watches Ruka's eyebrows lifting up in interest at first, but then curled more in confusion. But in an instant her eyebrows went way back up. Carly watches Ruka's huge eyes shooting right up to her own in complete horror.

"H-How could this happen? Was it even possible?" Ruka said, feelings of shock in every word "Jack's got to know this!".

Ruka risen voice has caught the few people who were in earshot, including the one in question. Jack looked over his shoulder once he heard his name called. He kicked off the pillar and walked towards the females unknowingly to them.

"What about me?" Jack asked, his sudden question jolting them like lighting.

Carly bitten her lip, blood now becoming visible to the public eye. Ruka faced fell down. It doesn't take Jack being a genius to see that something is wrong.

"What is it?" Jack asked, his whole attention to both females. He had that nagging feeling that Carly was hiding something earlier since he did catch Rex handing something to her, but he didn't really concern itself at the time. Maybe it was…?

"Did something happen to him?" Jack asked, guessing since the last fairy is, at this time, really late. And he hoped for it to be a good excuse too because he also didn't make it to the practice the other day.

"Well about Ru-" Ruka didn't go further, her eyes became wide again. Jack blinked at her in confusion and was about to ask…

"Jack? Ruka?" Carly asked, her eyes peeking from her glasses from her eyes widening in major concern at the sudden glowing of Jack's and Ruka's birthmarks.

A second later, a huge gust of wind suddenly emerge into the room. The three fairies' eyes widen at the same time as people started to scream.

"Get down!" Jack hollered, pushing Carly behind the gray marble pillar.

* * *

"Add that she crashed into the pillar." Jack interrupted.

"And you said that you respect her?" Crow asked, questioning the blonde.

"Yes, because I would not be if I let her go out of character." Jack said matter-of-fact like. He turned to Ruka.

"Well?"

Ruka sighed as she wipe out her fairy pen. _As if I had not enough of Jack Atlus and his crazy flaws for one night…

* * *

_

Carly unfortunately crashed into a pillar rather then the safety of the floor. Her body somehow glued herself to the pillar, most likely from the winds. Jack sighed and quickly ran to her as she tries to peel herself off.

"I am going to get you for that." Carly groaned as she rubbed her forehead while holding on to the pillar.

"Sorry." He mumbled as he gently grabbed her arm and placed her behind the pillar. Carly's hair covered her face, so he can't tell if she is alright. But he will have to check on her later.

Once content that she is alright, he ran back out. The wind has gotten even stronger that Jack was pushed back a bit. His demon-like wings unfolded to stop him from crashing into the wall, using them to keep his feet on the ground.

"What the heck…?" Ruka said, using her fairy wings to keep herself from flying off. Jack glanced around, seeing that everyone is panicking and all over the place like ants.

Every second glass gets dropped and something gets thrown, food or child. His violet eyes caught Ushio and Mikage in the center of the room. To the fairy's disbelief, they had to pick a good time to argue, seeing that Mikage is hitting him with a goblet while Ushio pleads for forgiveness. Jack grunted at the scene before him and turn to Ruka.

"Don't just stand there, Ruka, we got- UGH!" Jack clutch his birthmark in pain. His teeth gritted as he stared into the familiar blinding red light.

"It only lights up when another signer appears…" Jack mumbled, wondering if this was his performance. If it was, he is going to ripe every fiber from his fairy body and wings for pulling this stunt. But then, shouldn't they not be feeling…?

"UGH!" Jack clutched onto his birthmark harder, his eyes shut tight for a moment to pray the pain to go away. "_What is this pain?"_

Looking up, he sees that Ruka too was in pain. As getting Jack's non-verbal message, Ruka lifted her head up at Jack. She too had the same look as Jack was flashing at her, meaning that they had the same thought- this is different.

Jack never felt pain whenever his birthmark glowed. Sure, there was discomforted and temporary blindness, but never pain. What could this pain mean? Jack has a bad feeling that this isn't their other fairy signer…

_"It's…"_

Yusei's and Aki's crying could be heard, interrupting Jack's worse thought. But the cries were soon drown out in the increasing winds. Jack and Ruka instantly looked where they were, especially since they could see their birthmarks glowing within the winds. Lucky, the respective parents are guarding their children- Daisuke and Yuuri shielding Yusei by hugging him while Hideo and Setsuko guarded the crib with Aki in it. Jack sees that King Rex is trying to get the people to calm down. _"Like that's going to help your majesty."_

Jack felt his pain jerking into a direction, causing him to break contact from his king. His eyes shifted towards the grand doors at the other side of the room. His pain increased once his eyes lay on those doors.

Ruka was already looking at the same direction, her eyes widen.

The grand doors crashed opened.

* * *

I think it was episode 114 that revealed that Jack has a love for ramen. I just had to make a joke about it! And what a good way to combine that with Jack's suppose grudge with babies and the whole Rua-and-Jack's-underwear incident?:P

This chapter is based on the old saying "calm before the storm". Ruka's performance is the "calm", while the sudden winds at the end of the capture are from the "storm". I also added that reference to Daisuke. You could also see the whole ceremony for Aki as the calm and what is going to happen next chapter as the storm as well.

Now, we all know that Ruka, at this part in the 5D's time line, hasn't met Carly. So I have Ruka took what she know from the very little details she learned from Jack and did her best from those little details. Which is why we have Jack sometimes changing it because he knows her better, thus adding the bond to Ruka and Jack because of knowing Carly. I have to admit adding that running gig is last minute.

Yeah, yeah. Yusei knows grammar and spelling, but writes like a machine manual. You will see that I make fun of Yusei spending all his time in mechanics. I also see Yusei being respectful for those who were close with his friends, which is why he wouldn't let Jack write Carly's part for his own good and offer to write down Jack's word for word (Hence why last chapter Yusei made that auto-biography comment).

And yes, Jack is trying to keep the memory of Carly alive. And he somewhat broke a fourth wall. XP And was it Atlus or Atlas? I keep getting those mixed up... :/

Note on the birthmarks, I changed it a bit. Officially, their birthmarks would give them pain most of the time they glow, but most from whenever their dragon fights for them or when in a perseverance of a Dark Signer. In this story, however, it's going to be slightly different for varies reasons that I can't reveal now.

And yes, I intended to make this confusing because I don't want to give away whose who. If you had figured it out, then congrats, you are ahead. :P

And lastly, this chapter is dedicated to Mikage Sagiri and Tetsu Ushio because they need more appreciation for the work they had done for helping the signers. :)

"You know, he does have a habit of interrupting meals."

-Rua


End file.
